Plum Voyage
by xboxbabe
Summary: When Stephanie and Ranger embark on a would-be simple mission on a Caribbean cruise, they find themselves in an unnerving predicament. Will Stephanie's new friendship with a celebrity put a damper on their relationship?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_Note: The characters, places, and descriptions in this story recognizable as Janet Evanovich's are used solely for entertainment purposes._

...

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I drove from the Burg to my apartment. The streetlights overhead were blurry blobs of steaming yellow-orange light and I couldn't see worth a damn. I stopped for a red light and dug around in my bag for a tissue. When I found it, I glanced up and found the light was still red, so I took a moment to clean up my face. Mostly, I dried my eyes so I didn't wrap my little red Nissan Sentra around a light pole.

The light changed and I plunged ahead, fresh tears leaking out, eyes blurring again. "Damn it!" I shouted and thumped the steering wheel with my hand. If there was anything I hated, it was crying. Not only did it make me feel like crap the next morning, but it also made me look like crap.

I'd been doing a lot of crying lately. Stephanie Plum, the Bombshell Bounty Hunter and royal fuck up extraordinaire. Calling myself a bounty hunter feels like a courtesy title only. I have no problem finding skips due to my quick wit and a keen sixth sense, but apprehending them is another story. I have no apprehension skills save for blind luck and sheer guts.

Sometimes I wondered what kind of crazy pill I was on when I went to my cousin Vinnie's bail bonds office to demand this job from him. He'd given me a challenge he thought I wouldn't pass to bring in Joe Morelli, but pass it I did. The problem is: my life's a wreck and every time I do a takedown, something dramatic happens. Or more like _trau_matic. I'm a joke to the Trenton Police Department and the object of my mother's nightmares.

I pulled into the parking lot of my red brick apartment building and found a parking space about a hundred miles from the door. It was two in the morning and I was tired, depressed, and now suddenly single … again. Morelli, my on-again, and now off-again boyfriend, and I had a monstrous fight that ended in some of his dishes being broken, a lot of hand flailing, Italian sign language, and then me stomping off in the night.

He may be six feet of lean, hot Italian good looks, but he has a lot to learn about patience and unconditional love. He knows the way around a woman's body like I know my way around Macy's shoe department. Sex with him was always steamy, exhilarating, and kept me coming back for more. As a teen, Morelli had been wild and reckless. As an adult, he was controlled and dangerous. I had experienced both Morelli's naked and I preferred the controlled and dangerous adult, I just wish he'd stop acting like … the commitment-phobe he is.

Tonight, he'd accused me of wanting to redecorate his kitchen. For the second time since we started this dysfunctional relationship. In truth, he was probably right. But Morelli didn't want to marry me, he'd told me so. I wasn't sure if I wanted to marry him, either, to be honest. I just got thoughts on the subject once in a while.

Feeling unloved, unwanted, and a lot pissed off, I'd stormed out. Now, I was sitting in my parking lot with tears streaming down my face and an empty apartment to greet me. Luckily, my pet hamster, Rex, didn't have any reservations about living with me. I could always count on our relationship. I gave him food and he wiggled his whiskers at me. Simple. I like simple.

I entered the back door of my building and rode the elevator up to my apartment. It's a small one-bedroom apartment and, since my income doesn't come at regular intervals, I don't have a lot of luxuries, such as decorations, matching furniture, or food in my refrigerator. I have a kitchen with a few dishes and a pot, a living room with a couch, a chair, and a television, a bathroom with a shower curtain, and a bedroom with a bed, a dresser, and a closet full of clothes. Thanks to my job, I tend to have to replace those clothes quite often.

I unlocked my apartment door and trudged in, emotionally spent and physically exhausted. Not feeling like getting undressed, I flopped onto my couch and dozed off. I woke up later to the sound of scratching and a weird metallic scraping noise. My head snapped up just as my front door opened and a tall, dark figure entered. I would have been terrified if I hadn't recognized the outline of possibly _the_ best body in Trenton: painted on black t-shirt, long hair pulled back at the nape of the neck, bulging muscular thighs and biceps. Ranger.

His head turned in my direction and he walked over to the couch. "Babe."

Every time I saw him after an absence, I thanked my lucky stars that Connie had put me in touch with him. That one meeting so long ago in a crappy little café made me a great friend and mentor. Eh, the one time we'd had sex was good, too. If you can call amazing beyond all reason good.

I sat up and switched on a lamp as he sat down beside me on the couch.

He studied me for a minute before saying, "You slept in your clothes."

"Yeah, didn't feel like getting undressed."

"You've been crying."

I nodded and resisted the urge to point out his amazing deductive powers.

Ranger stared at me with his dark brown eyes, silent. No telling what was going on inside his head and he didn't usually divulge that information, either. My eyes trailed over his light mocha colored skin before settling on his mouth, which now displayed a knowing smile. _Oops._ I had to be careful about the messages I sent Ranger. He was always looking for a reason to get back into my bed and reminded me of it at every opportunity.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" I asked.

"If you want pleasure, I can take care of that," he said, his eyes trailing over my body.

Normally, I would joke back. Tonight, my eyes watered and a few tears slipped out. _Damn!_

"You want to talk about it?" he asked.

I shook my head and swiped at my eyes, smearing away one tear after another. I thought I was going to regain control when he put his arm around me and drew me against his side, pressing my head to his shoulder. If he hadn't been so nice, I would have recovered. As it is, I'm not the sort of woman who can control herself when someone is sweet to her during a sad moment. To my horror, I was overcome with emotion and wailed into his shoulder for a good ten minutes. Completely embarrassing.

He sat silently, rubbing my arm, holding me, and handing me tissues from the box on the side table. When my crying subsided to hiccups and sniffles, he pulled back so he could look at me. "Morelli?"

I snorted. "Who else?"

"Bad?"

I nodded again.

"He's an idiot."

I smiled. "Thanks."

"Cheat on you?"

I shook my head.

"Ah," he said.

I looked at him, "What?"

"Broken heart?" he asked, his fingertips working the muscles in the back of my neck.

I thought for a few moments. "I don't know if it's a broken heart. It's more like _I'm_ broken."

He stared at me. "Broken?"

"A failure. I can't make anything work. I'm over thirty, can't keep a boyfriend, and I have a crazy mother that treats me like it's the end of the world that I haven't produced grandchildren for her to spoil." I sniffed and felt even more foolish for whining about my life.

"Is it the end of the world?"

I screwed up my face to keep from crying. "Not to me." I stood up and walked toward the kitchen. "Sure, every girl wants to find that guy who's going to worship her forever. But somehow when I grew up, that worship didn't extend to kids in my head. And the worship thing hasn't really worked out for me so far, either."

I turned around and bumped into his chest. I looked up and met his brown eyes with my blue ones. His hands closed around my upper arms and he pulled me up close to him until my nose was touching his and my feet left the floor. "Do you want to be worshipped?" he asked. His voice was quiet, and his eyes were melted dark chocolate pools in his tanned face and closing in on me.

I gulped and my mouth went dry. I knew what it was like to experience just a smidge of Ranger's style of 'woman worship' and I wasn't sure if I could survive the full onslaught. I shook my head a little and he set me down. I was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when he leaned down and dusted his lips over mine in a feathery light caress.

I felt as if I'd been zapped by a 9-volt battery. The jolt travelled from my lips down to my pelvis. I opened my mouth in a little gasp and he leaned in again, this time with a soft kiss. Another shock jolted through my body, this time lighting up my nipples and causing my pelvic muscles to contract. A tiny moan escaped the back of my throat and my eyes fluttered closed.

His hand slid into my hair and he pressed me close to him as he deepened the kiss, lightly tasting my mouth with his tongue. Alarmed at the intensity, I mustered up all of my strength and pulled back, my breath coming in gasps and my heart slamming against my rib cage. One more minute of kissing and I would have been begging for a little worship.

He stared at me, his eyes pure black, like a shark on a trail of blood. Just seeing the desire in them nearly made collapse. He was possibly the most dangerous man I'd ever known. It had been downright depressing to argue with Morelli tonight. I had a feeling this man would destroy me if I let him in.

After a minute, he stepped back and folded his arms across his chest. I put my hand on the back of my dining chair to steady myself. "I have something to take your mind off Morelli."

I cocked my head at him and narrowed my eyes.

"Not that. Although, the offer stands anytime you're interested." I rolled my eyes and he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a white envelope. "This."

I took the envelope and opened it. It was a brochure for a cruise to the Caribbean. I snapped my eyes up to his. "You want to take me on a cruise?"

He smiled. Ranger's smile could disarm a band of murderous Amazonian women. I willed my heart to calm down and flipped through the brochure.

"It's a mission."

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "A mission out at sea?"

He nodded. "We'd have to leave..." he glanced at his watch "in about ten minutes to catch the plane down to Florida. We take off at 0500."

My jaw dropped. "What? I can't pack for a cruise in ten minutes!"

"Your bags are packed."

"Wardrobe?" I asked. He nodded. Figured. Ranger usually provided a wardrobe for me when I did any work for him. "What's my role?"

"Private cocktail waitress, slash escort." I thought I saw his lips twitch.

My hands went to my hips. "Tell me that it isn't the kind of escort who leaves her dates with the _happy ending_."

He shook his head once. "No. This is a luxury cruise and they cater to their wealthy clients very well. Personal assistants, designated waitresses, all that. You'll be personally assigned to one of their clients."

I gave him a small glare. "A waitress? So, I'm assuming the guy I'm assigned to is our mission. Are we guarding him?"

He shook his head. "He's a high bond skip Vinnie needs me to bring in. Sonny D'Amico."

"Sonny "the shoes" D'Amico?" I asked. "You want me to spend time charming _him_?"

"That's the idea."

"You know why they call him "the shoes," right? He presses his shoe against your neck, cutting off your air until you die! Sounds like a great time, Mr. D'Amico. Sure, I'd love to be your personal escort." I snorted and crossed my arms.

"Nothing to worry about. We just need someone to serve him drinks and keep him happy so we can snoop. Tank, Bobby and Ram are coming. We're security." He walked to my coat closet and pulled out a jacket for me.

"What did he do?"

"Murdered a couple of people." He shrugged.

"A couple?"

"Six."

Only six? "And you want me to spend close, intimate time with him," I said as my voice hitched up a notch.

"No. No intimate time. Dinner, dancing, walking around the ship. Employee rules forbid you from entering his room, so you'll have an excuse not to go with him." His face was unreadable, but there was a line between his eyebrows that hadn't been there before.

"Still seems risky. I thought you liked me."

"I love you, babe. And I'd never put you in danger you couldn't handle." He dropped a kiss on to the top of my head and walked over to the table where Rex's cage sat and picked it up. He probably thought he distracted me from hearing him say he loved me _without_ qualifying it, but I'd tucked that little statement away to ponder another time.

"What are you doing with Rex?" I asked, walking over to check that he wasn't upset.

"Ella is going to take care of him."

I sighed and looked around. It wasn't as if I had anything pressing going on. I'd just completed my last skip yesterday. A domestic violence case. A woman had stabbed a fork into her husband's scrotum when he told her he wanted a divorce. He filed charges and she'd skipped out on her court date. It was actually one of my more mild cases lately.

"Okay, but I need to tell my mother. She'll panic."

He gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. "Sorry, babe. You can't tell anyone. D'Amico has eyes and ears all over this town. You can't risk someone blowing your cover. It's safest for this mission if you just disappear."

"Ranger! She'll _worry_ and I don't mean normal worry. I'm talking calling-the-National-Guard worrying." I put my hands up to my temples and rubbed them. "Can I at least leave a note?"

"It's best to just leave." I nibbled on my lower lip. He walked over to me and slid his hand beneath my chin, tipping it up so he could look me in the eye. "It's one week. I know people will worry and I don't like to do it, but we have to keep this quiet."

He was right. We had to do it this way. D'Amico knew too many people. In Trenton. In New Jersey. Hell, in the whole country.

"You ready?" he asked.

I nodded. _Oh boy. Here we go to the Caribbean._

…

With my fake New York license and fake passport in hand, I followed Ranger through the security check point at Trenton Mercer airport. Ranger had secured a private jet for our flight down since it would be easier for us to travel inconspicuously that way. He had received the details that D'Amico's was taking this cruise late in the game, so finding commercial flights to get us there on time had been impossible.

My name was now Cassandra Zanetti. I was a waitress on the King Louis V, a luxury cruise liner that catered to the rich and famous. I was on my way out of New Jersey without so much as a word to anyone I knew. I dreaded the pandemonium I'd come back to find. For now, I just focused on learning about my character.

I was an actress wannabe from New York City, looking to do television, but my goal was the big screen. _Oh brother_. I'd been married twice, once at seventeen, with my parents' permission, and again at twenty-three. Both marriages had lasted a year. I had no children, thank God, and this was an in-between job for me.

We got into our seats and buckled up for the take-off. I looked at Ranger. He squeezed the back of my neck and settled in to his seat. "How long until we're there?" I asked.

"Roughly an hour." He clicked his belt together and turned to look at me. "I can think of a few things to keep your mind busy if you're bored."

The thought of what those things might be sent a zing of pleasure right to my hoo-hah. His eyes darkened slightly and he leaned closer to me. "Watch your thoughts, babe. I'm only human."

I nodded and made myself busy leafing through a magazine. Tank, Bobby, and Ram filed past us and got into their seats. Everything grew quiet and the plane started moving to pull out to taxi. I turned back to Ranger. "There's something I don't understand."

He looked at me, which was about as much of an invitation as I'd receive from him.

"Why do we need to actually _do_ the cruise? Why can't we just catch him as he's boarding and be done with it? This seems a little overboard just to catch a skip." It had been nagging in my mind, but I'd been too tired to think of earlier. I was still tired, but the excitement of the trip woke me up some.

He just stared at me. There was more to this mission than he was telling me.

I leaned toward him and whispered in his ear, "Are you going to keep this a big secret from me for the whole time?" No response. _Great_.

I could hear the plane gearing up for the takeoff and I yawned and looked out my window, suddenly remembering that I'd only gotten a couple of hours sleep after I got home from Morelli's.

The plane began to taxi and pulled into the air within a few moments and the next thing I knew, Ranger was gently shaking me awake. I opened one eye and saw Bobby and then Ram exit the plane. I sat up and looked at Ranger. I'd been cuddled against his side under his arm with my head on his shoulder.

"What's the matter?" I asked around a yawn. "Did something happen?"

He smiled and tucked a curl behind my ear. "We're here."

I sat up and looked outside. Sure enough, the airport looked different. Gone were the black morning sky and New Jersey smog and in their place were a blue, cloudless sky and palm trees. Mornings in Florida certainly beat mornings in Trenton. "I hardly remember us taking off." I turned back to him. He was still sitting there watching me. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Falling asleep on you." I reached under my seat and grabbed my purse.

"You didn't. You fell asleep on the window and I moved you." My mouth formed a little 'oh' and I smiled sheepishly. "It looked uncomfortable."

"Thanks."

He leaned forward and kissed me softly, and then he stood and exited the plane. I followed suit accepting his hand to help me down the stairs. The heat hit me as soon as soon as I approached the hatch. I seriously wish I wasn't wearing a sweatshirt and jeans right now. Once my feet were on _terra firma_, he pressed his hand to the small of my back and ushered me across the tarmac to the little office at the private airstrip.

About forty-five minutes later, we arrived at the King Pin Cruises offices where Ranger met with the employee relations director. They were cooperating with Rangeman on this assignment because the knowledge of D'Amico's past activities made them nervous to have him on board their ship. They wanted us there to help keep him out of trouble as much as we wanted to be there to get him off the streets.

While I was waiting, I pulled out my cell phone and checked to see if I had any phone messages. Even if I'd been gone only a few hours, the nervousness of just disappearing like this was getting to me. There was just one message from Morelli on my machine. "Call me."

I sighed and closed my phone. This was going to be a long week.

Tank was with Ranger and I was seated between Bobby and Ram. We were all silent while we waited. I thought I would go crazy by the time Ranger and Tank returned. The three of us stood and followed them out of the building and loaded into the rented black Lincoln Navigator, Ram in the back, Bobby and I in the middle seat, and Ranger driving with Tank riding shotgun.

Ranger looked at me in the rearview mirror. "We're going to stay on the ship tonight so we can set up our surveillance systems. It's going to be a couple of hours before we're there if you want to rest." I nodded and, since I felt groggy, leaned my seat back and dozed off.

When I woke up, I was in Ranger's arms and he was carrying me through a small door in a narrow hallway. As he stepped through, I saw that it was a small bedroom and I figured we must be on the ship. The bedspread was burgundy silk. There was a massive quantity of pillows on the bed. The carpet was thick plush carpeting in a rich tan color and the walls were paneled in a light oak.

Near the door was a light oak writing desk with a matching chair and a seat that matched the bedspread. On the far wall was a light oak four drawer dresser. There was an oak door immediately to our right, which I guessed to be the bathroom, and a closet with ornately mirrored doors next to the dresser.

I smiled sleepily at Ranger and he smiled back. "You didn't want to wake up."

Slightly embarrassed, I moved to slide my legs down, but he held me fast. "I can help with setup if you want."

He smiled and shook his head. "You can rest. It won't take us long."

"I must be getting heavy. I'm not exactly a lightweight," I said nervously.

His eyes were focused on mine. He laid me on the bed and remained over me, a hand on either side of my shoulders, never removing his eyes from mine. I saw black fire smoldering in their depths and my breath caught in my throat. His hand slid to my jaw and he leaned down to kiss me.

This kiss was different than all the others. It was filled with desire and heat. He deepened the kiss, teasing and tasting with his tongue. His hand slid down my neck, down to my breast and he lightly caressed his thumb over my nipple through my sweatshirt.

Holy hell, this man could set an iceberg on fire. My blood felt like lava coursing through my veins, carrying heat to all of my extremities. I arched my back to press against his hand and he broke the kiss and stood up, his breathing slow and even.

I stared at him, my breath coming in gasps, fighting off the weakness that had overtaken me.

He blew out a breath. "My guys are waiting for me. We have a short window of opportunity." He leaned down and planted a quick kiss to the base of my neck. "Back later, babe."

_Back later?_ I watched him walk out the door and worried about what later would bring. I was too wide awake now to sleep, so I decided to walk around the ship and get a feel for the lay of the land. I looked to my right and left when I walked out through the door and saw daylight to my right, so I followed it.

There was a stairwell through another small doorway and I looked up the stairs and saw that there were a couple of flights and the daylight got brighter near the top, so I started climbing. At the top, I walked outside onto a beautiful wooden deck. The ship was huge. It looked like a small country to me. There was a really large swimming pool a couple of stories down on what I guessed to be the main deck.

I was standing in the middle of a walkway that had stairs going down on either side. There were workers cleaning and setting things up all over the main deck. Carts with supplies were being pushed here and there. Everyone was in a flurry of activity making final preparations for the voyage. I was about to take the stairs in front of me when I felt a hand at my elbow.

I turned around to face Ranger. "What are you doing?"

"Exploring?"

"You need to stay out of sight until the crew finishes their work."

"You didn't tell me."

"I'm telling you now." He pulled me inside and led me back to my cabin. "I thought you'd go back to sleep."

"You woke me up." This earned me the two hundred watt smile.

"Do you want to come with me? Will that keep you out of trouble?" he asked.

I nodded. "It would be a start."

His arm snaked around my waist and pulled me in close. He locked eyes with me. "I never seem to be able to keep my hands off you."

My eyes widened a fraction. "Put them in your pockets."

He smiled and squeezed me tighter. "I don't think you really want me to do that."

"Yes I do."

"No, you don't." He punctuated each word with a kiss down my neck. Oh God, he was right. Heaven help me, I was glad he put his hands on me. It might be scary to be sucked into his force field, but it was also a damn good time.

I sighed. "You're right, I don't." I put a finger to his lips. "But, I'm also a little bruised right now. Can you just keep that in mind? It's hard enough for me to keep my head on straight when things are going well. Turning you down when my life is a mess is … nearly impossible."

He dropped a kiss on top of my head and stood back. "Okay, I'll give you time. A _little_ time. Some things are inevitable, babe. Just remember that."

_Wow._ I nodded and followed him back down the stairs and the opposite way down the passageway from where I'd come.

We went up another flight of stairs and ended up in an ornately decorated passageway. There was a door on each wall stained a dark mahogany. The carpet was cream with mauve and brown fleur de lis running down the sides. On the doors were gold plaques and golden peep holes.

Ranger turned to me. "Executive state cabins."

I raised my eyebrows. Impressive. He knocked on one of the doors. It opened and Tank stepped out. "You done?" Tank nodded. "Okay, take Stephanie with you to the dining room. She should meet the Maître d' before she starts her shift tomorrow." Tank nodded. I turned to Ranger, but he was already heading back the way we had come. I turned to Tank and smiled.

He grinned and inclined his head and I followed him down the passageway. Tank's not one for talking, but he is a big softy. He was my favorite of Ranger's men, probably because of the pictures of all the cats he keeps in his wallet. Another guy at Rangeman, Ramon, can be chummy, but I suspect he got a lecture from Ranger about how closely he was associating with me because he's been more aloof lately. There is an understanding at Rangeman that I am Ranger's property, whatever that means.

We entered the state dining room where the _crème de la crème_ would eat. This was where I would be the personal escort to D'Amico. What a weird setup. I supposed you really could have anything if you had enough money.

The room was fully decked out and _rich_. The walls and ceiling were wood paneled in cherry, the wooden floor was cherry with four huge area rugs in deep emerald and cream with taupe accents. Eight crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, twenty cherry wood tables were placed strategically around the room with matching chairs and covered with linen table cloths, full place settings, bone china, crystal glassware ... real silver. It was something you'd expect in Buckingham Palace, not a freaking cruise ship.

"Whoa," I said.

Tank raised his eyebrows. I smiled at him again.

I looked around and saw a door discreetly embedded into the paneling to my left. There were a couple of swinging cherry wood doors that obviously came from the kitchen, but this door was different. I nodded toward the door and we walked over.

I rapped on the door with my knuckles and heard a muffled sing-song voice call out, "Come in!"

I moved to open the door and Tank blocked me, gave me a look that said "this is my job", and opened the door. I shrugged and walked in behind him. A skinny little man was sitting at a neat cherry roll top desk writing in a ledger. He had wire framed glasses, a pair of grey dress slacks, white dress shirt that was pressed and buttoned, and a burgundy cashmere sweater vest over top. He was balding with a little bit of sandy blonde hair in the back of his head. He kept the top neatly trimmed.

Pale green eyes looked at us through the lenses, taking in the sight of Tank, who was easily the size of three of him, and me, sleep rumpled and travel worn. "Yes, may I help you?" He enunciated each syllable with precision.

I decided to take it from here and pushed past Tank to stand before the man. "Hi, I'm Cassandra Zanetti. I was told to come and meet you before the guests began arriving tomorrow."

"I'm Mr. Quist." He looked me over from top to bottom. "You will have appropriate attire to wear for the guests, I assume?"

_Prick_. "Yes, of course. I apologize for my appearance now. I was called up suddenly and had to fly in from New York at a moment's notice this morning," I explained.

He nodded and smiled. "Of course. Let me see." He rifled through a file drawer and pulled out a schedule. "Ah, yes. You will be accompanying a Mr. D'Amico. He has requested a companion to for the evenings. You will be with him from five pm until midnight each night." He handed me an envelope. "In there you will find your key to the staff room where you can retrieve anything he will need following dinner. If he wants a snack, a drink, anything. Also, you have access to all decks, beverage, and food stations on the ship at all hours, on the clock or not."

I was a bit stunned. He must have sensed my shock, because he looked at me over his rims and asked, "Is there a problem?"

"No. No problem at all." I gave him my brightest Miss America smile. Might as well start playing the part of the wanna-be actress, right?

"Good. You will be on-call just in case he should request your presence from ten am until two pm, with the exception of Tuesday and Thursday. Those are your afternoons off. Mr. D'Amico is aware of this arrangement. The hours outside of ten to two and five to twelve are yours to do whatever you want at your leisure. Tardiness will not be tolerated."

He gave me a lanyard with a badge attached. "This will give you access anywhere. Guests are not allowed in your room and you are not allowed in theirs. Mr. D'Amico will have been briefed on this, but sometimes our guests can be, eh, persistent. This is a respectable business. We do not engage in illegal activities and if you accept any money or other expensive gifts from Mr. D'Amico, your employment will be immediately terminated and we will return you to the States." He stood and smiled. "Any questions?"

The little twerp was about five foot four and bigger than his britches. Figured. "None whatsoever. I am on-call tomorrow morning beginning at 10 am. How do I know if Mr. D'Amico needs me?"

He reached into the top right drawer of his desk. "You will wear this pager. If he requests your presence, this will notify you. You are correct that you are on-call tomorrow morning. Each evening at four forty five, you must report to the staff lounge ... on time." He smiled. I had a nasty feeling he knew about my tardy record.

"Done," I said. Ranger was _so_ in trouble.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

…

I was sitting cross legged on my bed fuming when Ranger walked in. I'd gone back to my room and showered. Then I'd called my answering machine. There were six new messages. The first was from Morelli. There was a sigh and then "Call me." The second was from Connie. "Steph, you've gotta get in here. Vinnie just got slammed with skips and Ranger's out of town." There were two from my mother, one demanding my presence at dinner tonight, the other asking me where I was and why she hadn't heard back from me. The fifth was from Morelli. "Come on! Call me." The last one was from Vinnie, "Get your fucking ass into the office. Geez! I'm having a heart attack here."

I was tired, hungry, concerned for everyone being worried over me, and especially pissed off at Ranger for getting me an assignment that had me working as arm candy for potentially eleven hours a day and a _minimum_ of seven, _plus_ I had to be _on time_. This assignment was going to kill me.

He took in my facial expression and posture and approached me, lip twitching. "Babe."

"No." I propped my elbow on my knee, put my chin into my hands, and slumped my shoulders.

"No?"

"You don't get to call me "babe" right now."

He stood silent beside the bed.

Annoyed, I flopped onto my back and stared at the ceiling. There was a knock at my door. "Come in," Ranger said.

Tank entered the room. "I have her luggage."

"Put it over by the closet." He was still standing by the bed. I didn't move. I was done. It'd been hell the past twelve hours and I was ready to throw in the towel.

The door clicked shut behind Tank. Ranger still said nothing. I was acting childish and I knew it, he knew it, hell, even Tank knew it. I was beginning to think I should consider sitting up when I felt Ranger's hands grab me under the arms and lift me off the bed in one swift motion.

I gasped in shock as he pinned me against the wall with his hands planted on the either side of my head, his face inches from mine. "Talk to me."

I stared at him and sighed. "This isn't going to work."

"Which _this_ do you mean?"

"This job. I have to be on-call. I have to parade around with D'Amico as his arm candy for seven hours in the evening. I have to be _on time_. Do you even know me?" I put my hands on my hips. "Also, everyone back home is really worried about me. I've been gone for less than twelve hours and my mother and Morelli are already worried."

He cut his eyes to my lips and just like that, my knees went week. He took his index finger and traced around the outline of my mouth, first one slow circle, then another. I involuntarily licked my lips. He dipped the tip of his finger into my mouth and did another circle. Then he leaned in and softly kissed my lips and I felt a slow burn start in the pit of my stomach.

His hand slid around to the back of my neck and drew me in as he deepened the kiss. The slow burn was now a wildfire and it was spreading upward and downward. His kiss became more urgent, more demanding and I gripped the front of his shirt with both hands to hold myself up.

I pulled him closer and his arms went around me, holding me tight against him as he trailed kisses along my jaw to the base of my ear. His hands slid into the back of my shirt and I felt as if I'd been scorched. I inhaled sharply at his touch and he slowly removed his hands and, grabbing my arms in a light touch, set me away from him.

His breathing was calm, but I could see the pulse beating in his neck. I locked eyes with him and got lost in the depths of the desire I saw in them. "If we keep having run-ins like this today, we're going to be in that bed tonight. All night. Remember that."

"Are you using sex to control me?" I asked as something that felt like anger started to replace the happy sex goddess feelings I was having.

"No. I don't need sex to control you. I'm just telling you what will happen." He gave me a final kiss and stepped back. "I'll make sure you're on time, just keep your on-call pager with you at all times and I'll beep you."

He turned to the suitcases Tank had set down and put one on the bed to open it.

"Well, at least I can see that a woman packed my clothing," I said walking over to stand next to him. He glanced at me. "A man would have thought one suitcase was enough for all I needed."

He smiled. "I told her to pack one suitcase. When I came back and found two, I told her to repack. She told me you'd kill me if I didn't leave it alone. So I left it."

"Are _you_ afraid of _me_?" I asked, smiling.

He stood upright and gave me _that_ look. "Do we need to discuss how I feel about you right now?"

Tempting as it was to explore his emotions regarding me, I had a feeling we were talking more in physical terms at this moment. "No."

He nodded. "We need to go over your wardrobe. I have some accessories for you to wear under your dresses so that you have protection in case you need it, but we need to make sure they are well hidden." _Fun._

Twenty minutes later, I was standing in front of him gritting my teeth and debating if I wanted to beg him to make love to me or throw me overboard. I was in front of him in one of my 'working' bra and underwear sets and he was busy attaching a holster for my pepper spray to the top of my thigh. His face was very close to my you-know-what, and an arm was threaded between my legs and hooked around to meet up with the other as he attached a clasp and adjusted the height.

"Um, I could probably do that myself," I said tightly.

His eyes flicked up to mine. "Probably, but it wouldn't be as much fun."

I rolled my eyes and focused on something else. The empty suitcases were in the back of the closet. Several pairs of heels, a pair of running shoes, some casual dress shoes and sandals were lined up on the floor of the closet. I had about twenty different dresses hanging in there, a few pairs of dressy slacks, shorts, and blouses. In the drawers, I had several pairs of naughty looking thongs, matching bras, shorts, skimpy bathing suits, various tops, and athletic wear.

He stood and surveyed his work. "Okay, it's not a gun, but it will do in a pinch. Put on your dress."

I dropped my dress over my head and he zipped me up, letting his fingertips trail up my back as he moved the zipper. My nipples got hard and his eyes locked onto them when I turned around.

I looked down at the dress and saw no evidence of the strap containing the small canister of pepper spray.

"That is going to chafe me."

"I'll kiss it better if it does," He said, his voice low. "Take the dress off. Let me see if I can fix it."

"I think I should keep the dress on," I said, lifting the hem. "I'll just hold it."

"Do you think that will save you?" he asked quietly.

"Hoping."

"Not a chance," he said. "Take off the dress."

I turned around and presented him with my back.

He unzipped me, this time trailing his fingers down my back, and I slipped the dress off over my head. I could have sworn his eyes were even darker when I turned around. He dropped down to his knees and slid his arm through my legs again, this time skimming his hand against my thong.

At that point, if _my_ eyes could have turned black, they would have. I looked down at him and my pulse hitched up at the look in his eyes. Prey. I was prey and he was going to…

He leaned forward and kissed me smack in the middle of the scrap of lace at the apex of my thighs.

I froze, my breath caught in my throat. Time stood still and our eyes locked. Still staring into my eyes, he kissed me there again. "Do you want me to stop?" he asked.

God help me, no, I didn't want him to stop! I shook my head and he slid both of his hands up the back of my thighs and cupped my behind, then leaned in to kiss me again. My head was spinning. His fingers grabbed the scrap of material and, _snap,_ it was lying on the floor in tatters. "Now for a little worship," he growled. _Great, he remembered my line. _He trailed kisses across my pelvis and I lost all of the strength in my legs.

I leaned forward to steady myself with my hands on his shoulders and he shifted his hands to my waist to push me down to the edge of the bed. Then he slid his hands down to my hips and he leaned down to place a kiss on each. He slowly moved his hands inward until they were slowly tracing my bikini line and trailed kisses down one side, stopping just short of the center, and then he repeated the action on the other side.

"Ranger!" I gasped.

"Carlos, babe. When we're like this, call me Carlos." And I did. Then he kissed me. Down there. Again. Only this time with his tongue. I wasn't really sure what happened after that because I lost all cognitive thought. His hands caressed my hips and thighs and his mouth … _Omigod_.

When he'd successfully robbed me of my ability to move, I fell back and lay across the foot of the bed with a lazy smile on my face. He stood and picked me up, laid me at the head of the bed and, removing his clothes, joined me. He drew me into his arms, kissing me and caressing my body. His lips and tongue teased and tortured my entire body until I was whimpering. Unable to help myself, I reached out and took a hold of him, stroking up and down, exploring.

"Stephanie," he hissed. Then he was on top of me and driving us both home.

A while later, we were spooning and his hand caressed up and down my thigh as we talked. "What _did_ happen with Morelli, babe?" he asked, kissing behind my ear.

I drug my mind out of loopy land and gave a small sigh. "I finally figured out that all he wanted from me was sex."

He continued caressing my thigh, occasionally sliding his hand up and over my abdomen, then back down. "Just sex?"

I shifted onto my back so I could look at him. "He doesn't want to marry me. He doesn't even really want a relationship. He just wanted a free access pass."

I thought that it was ironic that Ranger felt the same way, but I'd never expected anything more than that from him. With Ranger, you got what you saw. The difference was that I thought Morelli'd eventually come around.

I realized the mistake in turning onto my back when his hand continued its path on the top of my thigh, his fingers lightly skimming between my legs. My pulse picked up. "Did you want to get married?"

I thought about it for a minute. "I don't think that I was ready to make that commitment with him, yet. The sad thing is, I don't know if it was because I didn't feel that way or because I knew he didn't."

His hand stopped at a place between my legs that had me wondering if maybe I wasn't as tired as I first thought. "Do you love him?"

"Yeah," his fingers did some magic little moves, "but I'm not in love with him." More finger movement.

I looked at him. He was staring at me intently. His eyes were black as onyx, sparkling with fire. A little smile played at his lips, danger lurked in his face.

"What about you?" I asked trying to ignore the squishy feelings he was eliciting from my body.

"Me? I'm pretty sure I don't want to marry Morelli, either."

I laughed and slapped my hand against his chest, then sighed. "No. Do you think you'll get married?"

"To you?"

"To anyone."

He leaned down to nibble my earlobe and whispered. "Does it matter right now?" _Hell no!_

I turned to him and he hooked an arm under my knee and slid his hand up my backside, up my back, and splayed his hand across my lower ribs. He leaned down to nuzzle between my breasts and I felt myself turn to liquid. He kissed and licked each of my nipples and I think I purred. Then he entered me, raising my leg up slightly higher. I gasped and he grinned. Then he took me over the edge once again.

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of water running. A few moments later Ranger walked in wearing a towel around his hips.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Six thirty. I have to go meet the guys to go over some details for a few and then I'm going for a run. Do you want to go?" He grinned as if he knew I would turn him down.

Ugh, I hated running, but I couldn't say no _now_. "I probably should." My jeans were fitting fine, but today I needed to get my mind off last night. Running would do it.

"Okay, I'll be back here in about thirty minutes." He dropped his towel and I think I drooled a bit. "Gotta stop looking at me like that, babe."

I licked my lips and nodded. "I know."

He laughed softly and gathered his clothes to head into the bathroom. "Hey," I said.

He turned to look. "You just dropped your towel and _now_ you're going to the bathroom to get dressed?"

"No. I'm going to my room. This is a suite. We share the bathroom." Then he shut the door and was gone. I hadn't even noticed another door in the bathroom last night. This is the power of Ranger on my ability to think clearly.

"Oh shit," I said before dragging myself out of bed.

I showered quickly and chose a pair of hot pink lycra shorts and a matching sports bra from the dresser and then dragged on my running shoes. I went into the bathroom and pulled my wet curly mop into a ponytail.

Ranger entered my room as I was coming out of the bathroom. "Ready?" he asked.

I nodded.

"You're going like that?"

I looked down. "What's the matter?"

"You're not wearing a shirt."

I put my hands on my hips. "This is perfectly acceptable to wear for working out. It covers more than any of those bikinis Ella packed for me.

"She packed bikinis?" He walked over to the dresser.

I nodded and pulled open the second drawer and drew out a tiny scrap of black material. "This," I said modeling it across my hips in front of my shorts, "goes down here." Just like that his eyes darkened. Pressing my luck further, I pulled out the minuscule top and held it over my breasts. "And this goes here."

It was hard to tell what was going on in his mind until he spoke. "Are they all like that?"

I smiled. "This one covers the most."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Well, I guess you're not swimming, then."

I rolled my eyes at him and stuffed the suit back into the drawer. "Who says I have to swim to wear a bikini?" I walked over to the door. "Are we going running?"

"Bet your lovely ass," he said and led me out of the cabin.

I followed him down to the main deck through several passageways to a pair of glass doors. Inside was a gym with several types of cardio and weight machines lined up in rows in the center of a huge indoor track. We stretched and took off running.

I made it about eight laps before I started to get a stitch in my side.

"How many did you do?" Ranger came up beside me and slowed down for a minute.

"Eight." I was sweating and gasping for breath.

"Try to do four more and I'll let you stop," he said with a smile and zipped away. I could have hated him if he wasn't so nice to watch.

I did the four laps and collapsed into a bench seat. I didn't notice that there was a man sitting at the opposite end until he said, "You don't run much, do you?"

I turned my head, my chest still heaving, and saw a pair of striking blue eyes smiling at me. Then I took in the whole face. Full, masculine lips smiled, as well, revealing even white teeth. His mouth was framed by five o'clock shadow. He had thick brown eyebrows and thick brown hair that was a bit mussed, as if he'd just rolled out of bed.

Something was oddly familiar about him. "I feel like I should know you," I said.

"I get that a lot," he said with a smile. He wasn't the best looking guy I'd seen, but he was very handsome, a real heart breaker. And the eyes. In my mind, he was still in line behind Ranger and Morelli, but those eyes smoldered and that got him points. Big points.

"Are you working out?" I asked.

"I just finished. What's your name?"

"Cassandra, but you can call me Cassie." I held out my hand.

He took it. "I'm Chris." We shook hands, smiling.

Ranger swept past on a full run, his normal style when he isn't held up by me. My eyes followed him a minute and then Chris asked, "Boyfriend?"

"Um, it's complicated," I said.

"Complicated?"

I nodded. "Very complicated."

He laughed. "Want to come get a bottle of water with me?"

I definitely wanted water, so I nodded and stood up with him on my jelly legs. "What do you do on this ship?" I asked.

"You mean, as in what is there to do or what do _I_ like to do?"

"I mean, what kind of job do you have?" I asked.

He grinned. "I'm a guest, not working. But don't worry," he said when he saw the horrified look on my face, "I'm not offended that you thought so. It's kind of nice actually." He looked around at the nearly empty gym and said, "I'm here kind of early."

"How did you get on board so early?"

A well-practiced sexy smile spread across his face. "Oh, I get special privileges from time to time." He winked at me and recognition slammed into me.

"Oh my God. I'm so stupid," I said and stopped, staring at him.

He grinned. "I'm going to take a wild guess that you just recognized me."

"Um, yes, but I don't know your name, sorry." I was embarrassed.

"Chris Pine." He smiled again. "But can you do me a favor?"

"What's that?"

"Can you go back to thinking of me as just Chris?" He put his hand on my upper arm and squeezed lightly, "I liked it better when I was just a cute guy you met at the gym."

"Who said you were cute?" I asked and laughed at his expression. He started laughing, too. It felt good. Life had been so disappointing lately, just having an opportunity to open up and let out some emotion that wasn't some type of depression made me feel like I could take on another eight laps. Not that I would.

We walked up to an attendant and Chris asked for two bottles of water and handed me one. "So, how dangerous is your sex friend?" he asked after taking a swig.

"Sex friend?" I choked on my water. He nodded his head pointedly toward the track with a knowing look on his face. "That obvious, huh? He's very dangerous. Why?"

"Because, I'd be dead right now if just a look could kill." He smiled at me, but his eyes were on Ranger, who had just rounded the corner.

"Sometimes I think a look _can_ kill with him." I smiled. "I just figured out where I've seen you before. I saw you in Star Trek."

He cocked his head to the side and studied me closely. "You don't strike me as the Star Trek type."

Standing in front of those piercing blue eyes while they studied me with such intensity sent a flutter of excitement rushing through me. I shook my head slightly. God, what was wrong with me? I just had a full night of Ranger sex and I was getting unnerved by a pair of mesmerizing blue eyes. "I'm not really a Trekkie. I had a run-in with a Romulan once. It wasn't pretty." We both grinned.

"Yeah, Romulans are a pain in the ass," he laughed. "But you watched the movie, anyway."

"I watched it with my friend Mooner." I grinned at the look of confusion that crossed his face.

He raised his eyebrows. "Mooner?"

"Don't ask."

"Well, thanks for the compliment. But I thought I was going to be just Chris." He crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes in mock annoyance.

"You are, but I wanted to tell you in case I didn't get the chance." We both smiled and I felt my cheeks grow red.

"Anything else you need to tell me?"

"My best friend Mary Lou and I think you have a sexy voice." Did I just say that to him? Was I flirting? No. I decided it wasn't flirting. I liked him, in a _non_-sex friend way.

"How sexy?" he asked with a smile that felt like more than a little flirting.

"Not sexy enough," I said.

He laughed out loud, a booming laugh that had people looking at us, including Ranger. "I like that. The first woman I meet on this ship who isn't trying to capture me because of who I am and she shoots me down before I even have a chance."

"Well, I'm more of a Batman kind of girl," I said by way of explanation.

"Hmm, I could try for a Batman role sometime," he said. His eyes flicked to Ranger and he leaned a bit closer, his voice low. "Must be some great sex."

I couldn't tell what he meant by that statement, so I said, "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."

He smiled and shook his head. "You're all right, Cassie." He put an arm around my shoulders and gave me a side squeeze. "Will I see you later?"

"Probably, but we won't be able to be best friends then," I said.

"Really?"

"Yes. I'm a personal escort to another guest here. My time belongs to him." He looked disappointed for a minute.

"Well, you have free time … for running, right?" He inclined his head toward the track.

_More running._ "Maybe," I said, giving him a wary look.

"Don't worry. I'm not trying to take Batman's place. I just think it'd be great to have a friend who likes me for me," he said with a genuine smile. No sexual innuendo behind it at all.

Huh, go figure. "Okay, Captain Kirk. Friends." We shook on it.

"So, I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, you'll see me around."

He left and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I turned around to find Ranger standing right behind me, an immovable force. "Hey," I said.

He nodded in the direction Chris had gone. "Who's that?"

"You mean you don't know?" I asked in wonder. Ranger knew everyone.

He just looked at me with the eyebrow raised.

"New friend." I took a swig of my water and produced my badge to the attendant and grabbed a bottle for Ranger.

"Did you just comp me?"

"Yeah. I figured maybe this week I could pay back all the comps you've given me," I said with a smile. Wow, just like that. I'm the queen of smiles and laughter. What next?

He studied my face for a minute. "Let's go get a shower."

"Let's get '_A'_ shower?" I asked, following him out into the passageway.

"Maybe." He kept walking and I wondered if I should have given more explanation on Chris.

I was in the shower washing my hair when I felt a presence near me. I opened my eyes to find Ranger, naked, climbing in. "Yow! What are you doing?" I asked.

"Getting a shower," he said.

"You said I could go first!" I yelled, trying not to look at his delectable goods.

"I said you could get a head start." He gave me a lecherous smile, moving closer. "What I didn't tell you was that if you weren't quick enough, I'd be in here with you."

He'd gotten close enough that our thighs were touching and that meant I was feeling things, as in one particular thing that told me exactly what was on his mind. "Do we have time to, uh, shower together?"

"All the time in the world, babe," he said, kissing my shoulder.

"What about surveillance or set up?" I pressed my back against the shower wall.

"Did that all last night, now we wait for the guy to arrive." He kissed my collarbone. Then he kissed my other collarbone and shoulder. He raised his head and looked at me. "What kind of friendship are you going to have with gym guy?"

My mind had been spiraling quickly downward as my heart rate increased, but his question brought me back. "Gym guy? You mean, Chris?"

"Yeah. Chris."

A realization struck me. "You're not … jealous, are you?"

He didn't say anything for a beat. "No. I'm either in your bed or I'm not. And I don't share."

That thought had my heart skipping a beat. "I told him I was more of a Batman kind of girl than a Star Trek kind of girl," I said on a whisper.

"Star Trek?"

"He's Captain Kirk."

"Babe," he said and kissed me. I tasted Ranger, water, and my shampoo. I dipped my head backwards to rinse the soap out before I blinded myself and felt Ranger pick me up at the waist and tuck my legs around his hips.

"How do you think Batman does it in the shower?" he asked just before his mouth took mine in a crushing kiss.

"I could never quite imagine that far," I gasped when we came up for air.

He chuckled low and sexy, then he proceeded to show me just how.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

…

Later in the afternoon, the ship set off for the Caribbean. It was full of guests and the tranquility from before was now gone, succumbing to the noise and the excitement of the passengers and boisterous activities. I was catching some sun in a lounger down by the pool wearing a little red bikini when the sun suddenly went out. I opened my eyes to find Chris Pine standing over me with a couple of beers, wearing a pair of Dolce & Gabbana white swim shorts and a smile. "We meet again." I tried not to notice how great he looked without a shirt on.

"You're blocking my sun," I said, telling myself I wasn't flirting.

He grinned and sat in the seat next to me and handed me a beer. I shielded my eyes and looked at him. "Is now a good time to be best friends for a while?" he asked.

"Are you going to get me into trouble?" I asked him.

"No. But I do believe this is outside the blacked out hours."

"How did you know about the blacked out hours?"

He smiled. Wow, he was looking hotter by the minute. Just what I need when I'm a walking hormonal mess. Damn Ranger and the sex. "I have my ways. Do you want me to leave?"

I thought about it. "No. Just keep your distance during blackout times," I said with a small chuckle.

He sipped his beer for a second and studied me. "Damn," he said a minute later.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What?"

"I think not only do you have Batman in your life, but also the Incredible Hulk." He nodded off to my right.

I turned my head to find Tank standing a distance away looking at us, his arms crossed. I grinned and looked back at Chris. "You know, you might want to find a new best friend. I have complications."

"Hey, you're not in some sort of trouble, are you?" he asked. "I mean, you have these big, scary men following you around and you can't tell me anything about them."

"No, nothing like that," I said, putting my head back and resting my eyes. "I just have a lot of Merry Men in my life."

"Merry Men?" he repeated and then laughed. "Your life should be a movie."

"If only you knew," I said just before a shadow blocked out the sun for a second time.

I cracked my eyes open to see Tank looming over me. "Is he bothering you?"

I grinned. "No. Is he bothering anyone else?" Bold of me.

Tank just shook his head and walked away.

"Geez. That guy is one dude I wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley."

"Stay out of dark alleys," I said.

"Comedian." He sat up on the edge of his seat, his hands on his elbows. "Come for a walk with me?"

I glanced around and didn't see Tank or Ranger, but knew it didn't mean they weren't around. There was also this hum running through the back of my neck that said Ranger was somewhere nearby. "Okay."

He took my hand and helped me up. We walked along the deck, sipping our beers. We stopped after a few minutes and I looked out at the blue water.

"So, I have a question."

He inclined his head.

"Don't you hot actors usually have some woman with you on these trips that the paparazzi chase down and post compromising pictures of in the tabloids?" I nudged him in the side.

He grinned and slung an arm around my neck. "Is that an offer to be my tabloid girl?"

"No! My mother would throw herself into the D—the Hudson." I'd almost said Delaware. Sometimes it's hard to stay in character when you're being yourself.

"Are you a good girl?" His eyes were looking decidedly naughty when he asked.

I sighed and leaned on the railing, swirling what was left of my beer in the bottom of the bottle. "Define good girl."

"Hmm…" He thought for a minute. "Well, in this case, a good girl is someone who wants to make her parents happy and maybe shields them from the craziness in her life by lying a little."

I stared at him for a minute not knowing what to say. Maybe he was too close to the truth. I sighed.

"That close, huh?"

"You're ruining your image, Captain," I said, looking at him.

"I am?" He leaned down on the railing next to me.

I turned my face so I was looking at him. "You know, the idea that actors are just pretty boys with hollow heads."

He smiled sadly. "I think that some people just want us to be that. The truth is, I have a bachelor's in English. I'm a smart guy."

"Hunh," I said and smiled. He smiled back. Our faces were about three inches apart and that hum of energy in my neck turned into a familiar prickle. Standing, I turned around and smiled at Ranger. "I wondered where you were."

He was silent. He looked at his watch, gave me a pointed look, and walked away.

"Phew," Chris said. "That guy is a little scary."

I cocked my head at him and gave him a "yeah right" look.

"Okay, he's a lot scary." He smiled. "I take it you have to go."

I nodded. "Need to get prettied up for my job."

He crossed his arms and trailed his eyes down my body with a slow smile. "You look pretty enough … maybe you just need a few more clothes."

_Wow_. This was feeling a little too close. "Yeah, maybe. Nice running into you, Chris."

"Will I see you later?"

"I think we're pressing our luck meeting twice in one day." I grinned.

He nodded. "Think I'll be allowed to survive one more day?" He flicked his eyes in the direction Ranger had headed.

I grinned and nodded. "I'll see you around." I waved and set off for my room.

He nodded. "See ya."

I hurried back to the cabin and stripped off my bikini the second I got in. I picked out underwear, a dress, shoes, and jewelry from a little box that was sitting on my dresser. Ranger had brought it in at some point last night and this morning told me that everything in it was for my use.

I jumped in the shower and washed up quickly and dried off. I was towel drying my hair when I went back to my room. I stopped short at the sight of Ranger, sitting in the chair, brooding.

"God, you scared me half to death. Don't you ever make any noise?" I asked, defensive and nervous all at once.

He stood and walked over to me.

"I have forty-five minutes to get pretty and make it to the staff lounge on time. I'm meeting a murderer in an hour. Could you say something nice to me right now instead of starting an argument? I'm really nervous," I said with my hands on my hips.

"Don't worry about it, babe. You'll do great," he said and left my room. I didn't think it was a good sign that he didn't attempt to touch me as I'd stood naked in front of him. I didn't even notice his eyes change. Not good at all.

"That wasn't what I meant," I said to the empty room. _Damn him._

I dried my hair quickly, fixed it into a twist, and swiped on two coats of mascara. My eyes were lined with black liner that had silver flecks in it. I did the smoky eye thing with light and dark grey, and I painted a pale mauve on my lips. The dress I chose for tonight was silver and slinky. I wore a white thong and matching bra beneath, along with my pepper spray holster. To complete the outfit, I slipped on a pair of four-inch, silver spike-heeled strappy shoes.

Earlier in the day, I'd gone to the spa and now my fingernails and toenails sported the French manicure look. I was feeling fresh, sexy, and depressed. My pager beeped and I knew I had ten minutes to get to the lounge. I slapped on a white gold and diamond choker, a matching bracelet, and a right-hand white gold and diamond ring, made sure I had my lanyard and staff room key in my silver clutch, and left the cabin. The only thing I was missing was some reassurance from Batman. Batman was busy pouting. I couldn't help that and apparently he wasn't helping me tonight.

Just before I reached the staff lounge I felt a hand close around my elbow. I turned expecting Ranger and found Chris. Just what I needed. "Hey, you're supposed to be somewhere else."

"Easy. I saw you and, I have to say, I nearly fell over. You didn't tell me you were going to dress up like this," he said, a smirk playing at his mouth.

"Shut up," I said with a half-smile.

His look grew serious. "You look stressed."

"I am. Look, this is my first job of this nature. I'm a bit nervous. I have to go. I can't be late." I waved to him and entered the lounge. The thought 'running away' occurred to me, but that was probably the best thing to do for both of us.

Mr. Quist was waiting. I glanced at the clock. Four forty-four. I practically slumped against the door in relief. There were about eight other girls in the lounge and five men. I nodded and smiled to everyone and took a seat in an open chair.

"Good. Everyone is here on time." He started calling out table assignments. "Miss Zanetti, table three." I nodded and he moved on. We were to be dinner companions first and then we'd go wherever our assigned guest wanted and be sure they were happy and had whatever they wanted. We weren't to turn them down for anything except requests that made us particularly uncomfortable or that were illegal in some form. And we were never to set foot inside a guest's room, not even if the door was left open.

I was trembling inside. D'Amico had a really bad reputation and the fact that I was going to be with him for a potential seven hours wreaked havoc on my nerves. I didn't know what Ranger and the others were doing or if they would even know where I was. I suspected they would, but couldn't be certain. Ranger hadn't given me any details. My guess was that his opinion was that I couldn't tell what I didn't know.

I was distracted and angry. I felt like I'd lost his trust by gaining a friend and he didn't give me a chance to redeem myself. Indignation rose in my chest. It wasn't as if he wanted to marry me or keep me forever. I wasn't going to go hook up with an actor that would be gone forever in a week. How stupid did he think I was?

Soon, it was time to head to the dining room. I walked slowly to table three, my hips swaying, my step full of purpose. D'Amico was standing beside the table talking to an older gentleman I didn't recognize. D'Amico was a slim man, about five feet eleven inches tall, with a full head of silver hair and dark brown eyes. He was wearing a silver suit with a burgundy tie and black Italian loafers.

I was a little surprised by how well we matched. He turned and his eyes locked with mine. I smiled and approached him. He took my hand in both of his and tugged me close to him. "Good evening. You must be Cassandra."

"Good evening, Mr. D'Amico. It's a pleasure to meet you," I said.

He bent to kiss my knuckles and then tucked my hand into his elbow. "Please, meet everyone at our table." He introduced me to the older gentleman, who turned out to be Rocko D'Angelo, a known cohort of his. That knowledge sent a chill to my stomach.

The next person was a man named Harry Mortimer, a shipping tycoon. Third was Chris Pine, Captain Kirk himself. He didn't have a companion and his eyes were full of merriment at my discomfort. I was going to kill him later. I told him so with my eyes and a subtle Burg glare.

We sat and ate our meal, chatting and laughing. D'Amico had fast hands, I found out early on. Luckily he was on my left because I found his fingertips making their way up my thigh several times and if he'd been on my right, he would have discovered my pepper spray. I was going to have to either get rid of it or tell Ranger we needed a backup. I opted to excuse myself to the ladies room and get rid of it. If I couldn't keep his hands off me, I had to get rid of the holster.

I went into the ladies room, which was empty, and hid the holster behind a potted plant in the corner. I figured I could retrieve it later. I went back and joined the party, avoiding Chris's eye as much as possible. I could tell Chris wasn't happy with D'Amico for pawing at me. I was also furious with him for putting me in more potential trouble with Ranger, whether or not he had control over where he sat. And I was furious with Ranger. Things weren't going my way and I was getting pretty annoyed with D'Amico, as well. I dreaded the end of the evening. His actions through dinner didn't bode well for me.

Once dinner was over, we all stood and D'Amico begged my pardon and asked if he could be excused. I was surprised, but relieved. He was looking a little green around the gills and I suspected he was sea sick. I assured him that all was well and asked one of the male staffers to see him safely to his room and called the ship's doctor to check in on him.

Left to my own devices, I made to leave the room, when Chris caught up with me. "Looks like you lost your date."

I was feeling vulnerable and tired. I hadn't seen Ranger in a couple of hours and I was nervous over our next meeting. Chris coming over to me with his fiery eyes and sexy smile was the last thing I needed. "I should push you overboard."

He grinned. "What? I thought you handled Sonny well, but I _am_ surprised you're still dressed."

I rolled my eyes and smiled in spite of myself. "How do you do that to me?"

"I'm an easy guy to like," he said. "Would you care to join me for the evening? I talked to Mr. Quist and requested to retain your services for the evening since Sonny is out of commission. He thinks it's a _wonderful_ idea."

I looked over to Mr. Quist and he made a "go, go" motion with his hand, signaling that it was now my job to spend the evening with Captain Kirk. As if things weren't bad enough.

"Okay, Captain. Where to?"

"I thought I was just Chris?" he asked, placing my hand in his arm.

"I like Captain better."

"Okay, you can call me Captain, but it will cost you." I slid him a sidelong glance. "Come dancing with me."

"I don't do dancing," I said with a scowl.

"I think you're not being truthful. Come on, it will be fun." He tugged me alongside him, tucking my hand into the crook of his elbow, and we went to the ballroom. The beauty of the room took my breath away. It was similar to the state dining room, but the lighting was low, there were no area rugs or tables, and there was a live orchestra. They were currently playing an instrumental version of Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" and I rolled my eyes. Chris smiled, then laughed when I elbowed him. He led me to the floor, placed his hand on the small of my back, my hand in his and pressed me close so that my stomach was against his hip so he could guide me across the dance floor.

He was still a couple of inches taller than me even with my four inch heels, about the same height as Morelli. He stared into my eyes as he led me in the dance, a slight smile on his face, his expression serious. He was an incredible dancer. I felt like I was floating across the floor. I was a bit unnerved by his seriousness, though, and wished for the easy conversation we'd had this afternoon.

He must have sensed my unease because his eyes softened and he asked, "What's the matter?"

"You're acting weird." I gave him a timid smile.

"You're too beautiful to pick on tonight," he said, his voice low. Even if you're not interested in having sex with a man, when he compliments you like that, it still gives you warm fuzzies.

I smiled and eased up a bit. "Okay, fine. Why do you act surprised? Didn't you think I could clean up?"

"It always amazes me how women can look so much like themselves one minute and then be something so ethereal, so unattainable the next." He took us in a spin and dipped me back slightly.

"Is that what I am?" I asked, allowing myself to be twirled around.

"Yes. You have your sex friend, and I can tell you really like him," he said and pulled me close for a few moments. "I'd be lying if I didn't say I wish you would look at me the way you look at him."

I looked into his eyes and got lost in their depths. What was wrong with me? Here I was in a situation full of drama and I was lost in smoldering blue eyes.

"Are you being an actor right now?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"I wish," he said and he moved to kiss me. Shocked, I stepped back, placing a hand to his chest.

He smiled and took me back into his arms to finish the dance. "Sorry, I got caught up in sad blue eyes. It's hard to not kiss a woman who looks as miserable as you, especially when she's so stunning."

"I'm not miserable," I said.

"Liar," he murmured. The song ended and he led me out onto the deck. "How about if we stay away from music and just talk?"

"Might be safer. I don't want to have to hurt you, Captain. But I would. Plus, even if I was interested in you, I'm on the clock and kissing is a big no-no," I explained.

"Ah. So, did you pull away because you didn't want me to kiss you, because you're working, or because your big, scary sex friend is watching us?" he asked.

"Do you see him?" I asked, glancing around. If Ranger was around and I wasn't aware, something was definitely wrong. I always felt him.

"No, but I can tell. I feel like my life expectancy goes down significantly when I'm near you and he's around. That can only mean he's giving me that killing look again." He grinned.

I laughed. "Okay, I can buy that," I said. "Come on, Captain. Let's go get a drink."

"Are you a happy drunk?"

"Hmm, happy?" I asked.

"How about slutty?"

"Yep."

"Okay, drinks it is, then."

I smacked his arm and laughed. "I'll have soda water, thank you. Besides, we're not allowed in each other's rooms, so just forget it."

"There are ways," he said. I wasn't sure if he was serious or not, so I let it slide.

He took me to the casino where we played craps, roulette, and blackjack. Then he taught me Texas Hold 'Em and I was done. I'm not a huge fan of gambling anyway, but that game was the last straw. We went down to the on-deck beach and took off our shoes and walked in the sand. Yes, a sandy beach on a ship. It was ingenious.

"You know," he began, "something's up with you. I can't put my finger on it."

I looked at him. "What do you mean by "up" exactly?"

"There's something you're hiding. You get this faraway look in your eyes and it's as if you wished you were someone else," he said softly. We were standing close and he was looking at me, stroking my arm.

"I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you," I said with a grin.

"Call me crazy, but I believe you. You have Batman and the Incredible Hulk. Who else do you have?" he asked.

"Me and my new friend, Chris," I said simply.

"Nuh-uh." He smiled. "You're lying."

I opened my mouth in shock. "You're calling me a liar? You've done that a lot and you hardly know me."

He leaned close to my ear and whispered, "I'm calling you a liar because we've been followed all night and it isn't Batman … and it isn't the Incredible Hulk."

I whispered back, "It could be a paparazzi, you asshole."

Then I turned around and walked away. I knew there would be other possibilities of a tail on me. There were still Bobby and Ram, but I didn't need him suspecting there was something fishy about me or my cover would be blown. I got about twenty yards when he grabbed my arm in a gentle hold and moved around in front of me to stop my retreat.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't think about it. The fact is, you're a mystery woman," he said sincerely. "You have huge men following you and it doesn't bother you at all. Are you some foreign princess under witness protection? A government agent, maybe? It's driving me crazy. I've been thinking about it all day."

I stared at him, incredulous. I was the woman of mystery. What the hell kind of world was it when I became the mysterious one? Me, Stephanie Plum, the woman everyone watched for blown up cars, naked skips, major food fights, and other calamities. I was mysterious.

I couldn't help myself. I opened up my mouth and laughed a huge belly laugh that shook my whole body. I may have even been a little hysterical. I laughed so hard that I cried and then I was a crying, soggy mess. My only comforting thought was that all of my makeup was waterproof because otherwise I would have looked like the bride of Frankenstein.

Chris looked stunned and pulled me into his arms, handing me his handkerchief. "Hey. I'm sorry, Princess. I didn't mean to upset you."

"Princess?" I asked, wiping my eyes on the handkerchief.

"Yeah. The idea is sort of stuck in my head now." He smiled softly and rubbed his hands over my upper back.

"Unstick it."

"Sorry, but it stays, Princess." He put an arm round my shoulder. "I am sorry, though."

I shook my head. "It's not your fault. It's just me. Maybe it's past my bedtime. Maybe I'm having a mid-life crisis."

He chuckled a little. "You're not old enough for that. Do you want to go to bed?"

I pulled back, sober and quiet, looking at him.

He sighed a little. "In your _own_ bed. We're best friends, remember? I can't take advantage of you now. I only take advantage when it's funny."

I grinned and nodded my head. "Okay, yeah. I do."

"Alright then. Are you going running tomorrow?" he asked.

I bit my lip and thought about it. Ranger hadn't offered, hadn't even been in contact with me.

He toed the sand, his hands in his pockets. "You worried about Batman?"

I nodded. "I think he's a little upset with me."

He perked up a little. "Because of me?"

I glared at him. "Maybe, I don't know. He's hard to figure out sometimes."

"I'm not trying to ruin your relationship with Batman," he said, all joking aside now.

"I know. The truth is, I don't think there is a relationship." I sighed and sat on a lounger.

"You look like you could use a best friend's listening ear," he said, indicating to the chair next to me.

"Sit down, Captain," I said with a snort.

He flashed me his Hollywood smile and I got a flash of heat through my belly. I sometimes forgot how handsome he was. "You know, if you keep calling me Captain, I'm going to start feeling like the Captain." He sat down facing me. "And if I feel like the Captain, I might start acting like him."

"Nice try," I said, turning to face him. "But you're stuck with it. All of my men have nicknames and the Captain thing is in there now." _All of them, except Morelli._

He grinned. "Am I one of your men now? The Merry Men?"

I pondered that thought for a minute. "At least for this week. Then you'll be back in Hollywood and you'll forget all about me."

"Not likely," he said wistfully and stood. He held his hand out to me and helped me up. We walked up the beach, my arm around his waist and his around my shoulder, until we got to the main doors. "Good night, Princess," he said and leaned down to kiss my cheek.

"Night, Captain," I said with a smile. "See you in the morning."

"You're going then?" His blue eyes searched my face.

"Yeah. I'll be in there."

"Six," he said.

"Of course it would be six," I muttered. "No one who goes running gets up at a _decent_ time."

He grinned and waved to me as I walked off. I was smiling as I followed the passageways back to my room. I was almost there when I rounded a corner and slammed into Ram. "Oof," I said and fell over onto my butt.

He helped me to my feet. "Sorry," he said. "Ranger would like a word with you."

_Uh oh._ "Oh, he would?" I asked testily. I knew I would have to go because it could be regarding the assignment, but I really wanted to turn him down and walk off. Ram didn't look like he was in the mood to play, though.

"You question it?" he asked, his arms folded across his chest. He was standing military style, almost defensive.

"No. Please, take me to him. Why not?" I asked, slipping my shoes onto my feet. I had been carrying them since I'd left the beach. If I was going to face him, I was going to be tall enough to look into his eyes.

Ram led me to a conference room and opened the door for me. I entered the room to find Ranger seated at the head of the table. His elbows were on the table, his fingers steepled together, his expression blank. He didn't move when I walked in, just cut his eyes to me and then to the chair to his left.

I walked over, sat in the chair to his right, and waited. He was waiting for me to speak, but I wasn't in the mood to speak.

After a while, he put his hands down and leaned back in his seat. "What happened with D'Amico?"

"I think he got seasick. He had to return to his room. I sent the doctor to check on him because he was really green," I said. "Did you know that Rocko D'Angelo was going to be with him on this cruise?" He nodded and I simmered. "Well, it was quite the shock to me!"

"If D'Amico went to his room, you should have been free to return to your room." His arms folded across his chest and he leaned forward, his eyes staring into mine.

"Should have been, but then I got called in to take another client." I shifted uneasily. I wasn't sure I liked the direction of this conversation.

"Called in?"

"Captain Kirk asked Quist if he could retain my services for the evening since D'Amico was out of the picture." I sighed and crossed my legs. "Quist nearly had a hard on over the prospect and sent us on our merry way."

He nodded. "So you didn't have a choice." He didn't sound as if he believed it.

"Do you think I had a choice?" I asked, leaning forward, anger flashing through me.

He said nothing.

I shook my head and stood. "You know, the silence thing works sometimes. Sometimes it doesn't." I began to walk away.

"I didn't dismiss you."

"Okay. Let's just say I play along with that," I said, hands on my hips. "Let's just say that I wait for a dismissal from you. What would it be? You walking away from me again?" I was getting brave copping an attitude. "Would you say "you are dismissed" and wave me off like a servant?"

I walked closer and leaned over him. "How about this? How about if I take your silence for a dismissal. It would be easier." Again, he said nothing. "Okay, fine. Good night, Ranger."

I walked to the door and reached out to open it. Before I could grab the handle, he grabbed my wrist and spun me around slamming me into his chest.

"I didn't dismiss you." His eyes were angry.

"I think you did."

"You would have known."

"Funny. I think I did know," I said, heaving against his chest with my hands. I couldn't move. I was immobilized against him. He didn't even break a sweat. I, on the other hand, was out of breath from the effort.

"No," he said.

I stopped and looked at him. "Huh?"

"No, I don't think you had a choice. Not if you wanted to keep your job accompanying D'Amico." The anger left his eyes. "You did the right thing."

I softened and shook my head. "Why do you do this to me?"

I thought he was going to give me the silent stare again when he surprised me by speaking. "Why do _I_ do this to _you_? We're trying to keep you safe and then you get rid of your transponder. I had my guys all over the ship looking for you after they found it in the ladies room stuffed behind a plant. We have a job to do and they spent time looking for you when you were off playing footsie with an actor."

He was angry. He didn't necessarily look angry or sound angry, but I knew it and it raised the hair on the back of my arms. "I wasn't playing footsie."

He just stared at me. "Stephanie, I'm a lot of things, but I'm not stupid."

He walked to the door. "Don't take your transponder off again."

"I didn't have a choice," I said as he opened the door.

He closed the door and walked over to me. He looked me over. "Why?"

"D'Amico would have discovered it. It was all I could do to keep my panties on." I crossed my arms and glared at him. "That man is all hands and he wants them in places only you have been lately."

His eyes hardened. "He was touching you?"

"He was _trying_ to touch me. I avoided him, but as the evening progressed I got scared he would find my holster, so I went to the ladies room and removed it." I sat down in a nearby chair suddenly exhausted.

"Babe," he said. I felt a little better at that. Going back to "babe" from nothing at all was a good sign. "Why didn't you put the spray in your purse?"

"I was afraid that he might see it when I went to retrieve my comp badge or the staff room key," I said.

He nodded. "Sorry." He thought for a minute. "This is going to be a problem."

"The pepper spray?"

"No, the Captain."

I shook my head to clear it. "Were we talking about the Captain?"

"I am."

"The Captain isn't a problem," I said, standing. I was furious. "The only reason he's a problem is because you don't want him paying attention to me. Otherwise, there's no problem with him."

He simply looked at me. It was my final straw. I charged to the door and stormed out, heading down the last few passageways to my cabin. Once inside, I removed my dress and hung it up, threw on a nightshirt, and went into the bathroom to remove my makeup and brush my teeth.

Once I was clean, I pulled my hair out of the twist, brushed it, and headed my room. Ranger was in my chair waiting for me. He stood and walked over to me. "I'm going to ask you again. What _kind_ of friend is Pine?"

"A _friend_ friend," I said.

"He kissed you," he said darkly.

"A lot of people kiss me, but it doesn't mean I kiss them back. Besides, he _tried_ to kiss me and I didn't let him. The only other kiss I can think of is when he kissed my cheek good night." My mind was working. "Why are you so jealous of him?"

"I don't get jealous."

"I disagree. You're jealous." I walked up to him and put my finger into the center of his chest. "You don't like the idea that someone else could come in and want me."

"I told you. I don't share." He didn't move.

I poked him again. "You don't share. Let's think about this," I said getting bolder. "Why don't you share? If you don't want me for yourself, and I don't think you do, then why would it matter to you who I'm with? Why would you care if I fucked every man on this ship for that matter?"

"You can, just not when you're fucking me." He gently took my wrist and removed my finger. "And if you want to be with other men, you're not going to be with me."

It was too much. The idea that he didn't care what I did, the fact that he would never feel about me the way I felt about him, the stress of the evening, and the fact that he wouldn't even come see me to encourage me when I went to meet D'Amico. It sent me over the edge. "I'm not. I'm not going to be with you. It's over. No more sex. No more sneaking in, no more…" I broke, a sob escaping from my mouth. "N-no m-more. J-just leave."

I turned my back on him and buried my face in my hands, wailing. _This is it._ I thought. _I've finally lost it. I'm off my rocker._

His hands settled on my shoulders and I shook him off, shaking my head. "No, Ranger. I have a problem with this." I waved my hand between the two of us. "I have a problem because I can't be emotionally unattached. I can't work with you when I love you like I do and you can't love me back."

"I told you that I do love you," he said.

"In your own way and it doesn't come with a ring," I ground out at him, "I know. But maybe it isn't enough for me. Maybe I think I deserve more."

He turned and left the room. Just like that. I sank to the floor and leaned against the bed. I was so shocked and heartbroken, I couldn't cry. I was stunned.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

…

"I thought you were going to bed," A smooth, sexy voice behind me said.

"Yeah, well, that wasn't working out for me, so I came here." I caught the bartender's attention and signaled for another drink.

He sat down beside me, his blue eyes wandering over my face. "That must have been some cry. I haven't seen eyes that puffy in a long time."

"Great," I said.

"Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not okay, but I will be." Was that my speech? I sounded a bit slurry.

"I think maybe you've had enough to drink," he said, sliding my glass away.

"I'll tell you when I've had enough." The bartender approached with my drink and Chris held up a hand. "Can you get her some coffee instead?"

"Shut up," I said to him. The bartender grinned and poured a cup of coffee and slid it to me.

I buried my face in my arms. I felt sleep overcoming me. The Captain tapped me on the shoulder. "Hey, I hate to tell you this, but if you fall asleep, I'm going to have to break the rules."

I lifted my head slowly and looked at the three of him swimming around in front of my face. "Huh?"

"I'll have to carry you back to your room," he said.

"You can't do that," I said feeling my stomach start to lurch.

"Hmm, I think we'd better head to the restroom," he said and dragged me off my seat through a little doorway to the restroom. The ladies room was empty and he took me in and shoved me into a stall.

He held my hair back and rubbed my back as I emptied my stomach. A lot. I threw up until I didn't have anything left to throw up and then I laid on the floor and passed out.

…

I woke up a while later with a pain in my shoulder. I couldn't move and my head was pounding. It was pitch dark and the only thing I could hear was my breathing. I had no idea where I was. I felt warm and I realized that I was against a person. The next thing I noticed was that there were arms around me. On the heels of that revelation came the knowledge that the arms were against bare skin. My bare skin.

I did a self-check and realized that I was naked with a naked man and I knew it wasn't Ranger. _Holy shit! Holy fucking shit!_ I removed the hands from my body and felt around. We were in a coat closet of some type. The room felt small and I was beginning to feel claustrophobic. I felt around and a garment fell onto me. It felt like a coat, so I put it on and felt for a door knob.

My fingers bumped into and I tried it. The door cracked open and light from the passageway blinded me. I waited a second for my eyes to adjust and then I slipped out and shut the door. I was still feeling nauseous and dizzy and figured I was still drunk. That meant it probably wasn't morning, yet. I hoped. I looked down and saw that I was wearing a busboy jacket that barely covered my ass. Good enough for me.

I looked up and down the passageway and recognized that I was by the staff room. I hustled my ass back to my cabin and realized that I didn't have a key. _Damn_. There was _no way _I was going to ask Ranger for help on this one. This meant I had to go back to the closet and look for my stuff … and run into the person who was still there.

I was hoping that it wasn't a certain sexy Captain and, yet, I was hoping it _was_ a certain sexy Captain. Sex with someone I don't know that well would freak me out. Sex with a total stranger would be unbearable. And what about protection? Ranger and I always used condoms, Morelli and I always used condoms. What did mystery man do?

When I returned to the closet, the door was slightly cracked open. I held my breath and opened the door and it was empty. I found my dress and things on the floor. I jumped inside, got dressed and stepped into the hallway, checking my appearance. Nothing inside out, nothing backwards. Okay.

It was then that I noticed the blood. It was all over me. All over my clothes, all over my hands. All over the door knob. I opened the closet door and looked inside. There was blood everywhere. How could I have missed it the first time? There was no way it wasn't there before I changed.

My vision turned black for a second, but the idea that I didn't want to be found passed out in the hallway in this condition snapped be back to full alert. I ran all the way back to my cabin and let myself in, my heart pounding. In a panic, I ran into the bathroom and stripped, jumping into the shower. I sat on the shower floor and cried, wondering what had happened and hoping that the blood wasn't from Captain Kirk.

I was jolted awake by the bathroom door slamming open. The shower was still running, but the water was cold and I was shivering, my teeth chattering. Ranger whipped back the shower curtain, took one look at me, and turned off the water. Then he pulled me out of the shower and wrapped a towel around me.

Then he hugged me close to him, squeezing me tight with his arms. "We've been looking for you for hours. Are you okay?"

_Okay?_ Something horrible had happened to me last night. I wasn't okay. I pulled back my head and looked at him, shaking my head. Tears running down my cheeks.

"You're not okay?" His mouth was tight, his eyes angry.

"No. I'm not okay." I leaned against him and cried, a pathetic sound escaping from my mouth. "I think something terrible happened, but I don't know what or how." He held me, stroking my hair.

"Babe, is this blood yours?" He pulled back and peeled away my towel to check for wounds. I had a gash in my thigh that was bleeding quite a bit. He led me to the toilet and sat me down, then disappeared into his room. A few seconds later he returned with a medical kit.

He cleaned out the wound and his lips compressed in a line. "You're going to need medical attention. This isn't going to stop bleeding." He butterflied the gash with Steri-Strips, covered it with gauze secured by tape.

He pulled me to the edge of the seat and wrapped me in a hug, kissing my hair. "What happened?"

I looked at him afraid of what I had to tell him. He seemed a bit alarmed at the look in my eyes. "Babe…"

"I don't know. I was at the bar drinking. Captain Kirk showed up and told me I'd had enough to drink. I was a bit drunk. Well, I was a lot drunk," I admitted. "He asked the bartender to give me some coffee and he took me to the bathroom so I could throw up. He was in there with me, holding my hair out of the way, but I passed out after getting sick."

I stared at him for a full minute, unsure how to proceed. I opened my mouth to speak again, but Tank chose that moment to walk into my bathroom. I gasped and Ranger grabbed the towel and wrapped it around me. "She's fine. You can leave now."

Tank scooted out of the room so fast that he accidentally ran into the towel bar, which caught on his belt loop and ripped off the wall. He bent to pick it up and bumped into the linen cabinet, knocking it over. Not daring to look my way, he set the towel bar on the sink, stood the cabinet up and walked out, his face red. Really red. If I'd been in a better mood, I would have thought it was funny.

"What else happened?" Ranger asked, drawing me into his arms again.

I let his heat flow into me, giving me strength and calming my nerves. When Ranger held me like this I felt safe and secure within his force field. I drew in a shuddering breath and pulled back to look at him. There was concern in his eyes. He reached up to stroke my cheek. "When I woke up, I was in this small, dark room. I realized that I was in a closet of some sort and I was naked."

He squeezed me tighter and I continued, "Then I realized that I wasn't alone. I was with someone else who was naked. A man." My voice broke and I choked back a sob. "I couldn't see anything, so I just felt around and grabbed something that felt like a coat to put on. Then I tried to find a way to open the door. Once I did, I got out and recognized that I was in the utility closet by the staff room. I had put on a bus boy jacket."

He kissed my forehead and hugged me tightly to him. "God, babe," he said in a deadly quiet voice.

"I didn't even notice the blood. I was still feeling a bit sick and nauseous. I came back here, but I didn't have a key. I was afraid to wake you, so I went back to the closet to see if my things were there. I found them, but there was no one in the closet." His hands had begun kneading the tight muscles in my back. "I saw my things, so I stepped inside to put my clothes on…"

I pulled back and looked at him. "I—I didn't want you to see me coming back wearing a bus boy uniform with my clothes in my hand. I didn't think I could handle your reaction without being able to explain…"

"Shh. I've been hard on you." He looked upset. "I should have been taking care of you, but I've been an ass." He kissed my forehead. "You should know that you can _always_ come to me if something happens. Always."

I shook my head. "I wasn't so sure. Things didn't go so well the last time I saw you," I said quietly.

He was quiet for a few minutes. "What happened after you got dressed?"

I stared at him dumbstruck for a minute. He'd changed the subject. Sure, he'd admitted he was being an ass, but he was clearly pulling back. I blew out a breath. "Well, I looked myself over in the hallway to make sure nothing was inside out. Then I noticed I was covered in blood."

The memory of the blood in the closet and the carnage that had to have taken place for the amount of blood I saw made my vision go funny. I felt myself slipping away, when Ranger tucked my head between my knees and told me to press my head against his hand. A few moments later, I was feeling better and sat up.

I looked at him. "There was so much blood. So much. It was everywhere." I shuddered and he squeezed my shoulders. "Ranger, I'm really scared that it was Captain Kirk…" I trailed off.

His eyes flicked to mine, expressionless. Then he pulled out his phone and made a call. "Go check the closet by the staff room and tell me what you find in there." He slid the phone back into his holster and lifted me off the toilet. "We need to get you dressed and up to the clinic."

I held onto him as he gently sat me on the edge of my bed. He pulled out a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and dressed me making sure not to disturb my wound. When I was dressed, he scooped me into his arms and carried me through several passageways and then up three flights of stairs to the clinic.

Ranger had called Bobby to get the doctor when we left my cabin. He and the doctor were waiting for us when we arrived. "Hi there. I'm Dr. Brock." I gave him a shaky smile and Ranger laid me on the table. Bobby tossed Ranger a casual salute and left.

"Let's see what we have here," Dr. Brock said, poking and prodding at my leg. I hissed in a breath through my teeth and Ranger put his arm around my shoulder, murmuring soothing words into my ear.

"Well, this may take a little while. There is glass embedded deep in the cut and I will need to get it out before I can suture your leg." As soon as he said the words "glass embedded" he lost me. My vision turned black and then a horrible smell brought me to.

"Ugh," I said, rubbing my nose as if it had been hit.

"Looks like we lost you there for a minute," Dr. Brock said. "I'm going to numb your leg and then you won't feel anything, sweetie." I nodded my consent.

Actually, once he numbed my leg, fatigue overcame me. I yawned and struggled to keep my eyes open. The doctor studied me and smiled at Ranger and said, "I can see why you like her so much, man." This caught my attention and I looked between the two of them.

Ranger gave me a small smile. "This is Tyler. He was in my unit in basic. But he went on to be a medic while I went out to fight."

"Don't start with me," Tyler said. "You were itching to get out there and crack some skulls. I wanted to fix them."

"Rambo," I murmured before drifting off.

The alarm ripped me from my cocoon of sleep at five forty five. I sat up, head pounding, and looked around. I was in my cabin. I had slept in my bed all night, after all. All night? _No, last night wasn't a dream_. I looked at my leg. Bandaged. Definitely not a dream.

I got up and turned off the alarm. The shower was running. Quickly, I dressed and got into running shorts, a matching sports bra, and my running shoes. I ripped my brush through my hair and pulled it into a ponytail, and then quietly slipped out of my room.

I half ran, half hopped all the way to the gym. _Please be there. Please be there._ I prayed in my mind. If he was there, he wasn't the source of the blood. If he wasn't there…

I ran through the doors and looked around. No Captain. I walked around, looking at people on the machines, looking at the runners, looking by the lockers and the seats. Still no Captain. I felt my chest compress at the thought of what could have happened to him. I walked over to the nearest bench and sat down, grief overcoming me. Sure, we'd just met a couple of days ago, but I wouldn't want something like that to happen to him. He was cute and likeable. He was my friend.

A tear slipped down my cheek.

"Hey." Suddenly he was there, squatting in front of me. "I'm sorry I'm late. I didn't mean to make you cry."

My eyes snapped up to his face and I launched myself into his arms, hugging him tightly.

"Wow, I've never seen anyone so happy to go running with me before," he said, his voice amused.

I was trembling with relief. I pulled back and laughed a little, more tears running down my face. "I'm just so happy you're okay, Captain."

Confusion knit his brow. "Okay? Wait a minute. Is Batman out to get me?"

I shook my head, smiling through my tears. "No. It's a long story."

"Want to talk about it over a quick morning jog?"

"I can't. I had to get stitches in my leg last night." I pulled up the hem of my shorts and showed him my bandage. "No running."

He smirked. "I don't buy it. Are you one of those people who hate to run?"

"Yes, but this isn't a joke or a ploy." I stared into his eyes, my lower lip trembling just a bit. "Something terrible happened to someone last night and I thought … it was you."

"Oh my God. You were really worried about me when I wasn't here." I nodded and he pulled me into an embrace. "Shit, I'm sorry. I would have been on time, but I have one hell of a headache this morning."

That stopped me short. "Were you drinking last night?"

"I had a beer, why?"

"Because … listen, can we go get something to eat? I'm really hung over and I need my cure," I said, rubbing my temples.

He smiled, rubbing my arms with his hands. "What is the cure?"

"A Coke and French fries."

"For breakfast? Yuck."

"No way. It's the best and it's what I need." I stood up.

He stood and smiled. "You know, I could get used to you worrying over me."

"Don't. God, I thought you were…" I gulped. "When you weren't here I almost lost it."

"Geez. Are you trying to tell me that someone died last night?" he asked, pulling me close and dipping his head down to look me in the eye.

"That's the way it looked to me."

"Oh God. No wonder you were hysterical." He hugged me and held me close, pulling his head back to stare into my eyes. "I would have been the same way."

I smiled. "That's nice to know. Come on, I need The Cure."

We left and he led me up to the upper deck where there was a little dinette that served a wide variety of diner food. It was open twenty-four hours and Chris thought I'd be able to get some fries there.

We walked in and sat down to order. Chris got a ham and cheese omelet, toast, and home fries. I ordered the cure and we sat back to wait for our food. I grinned at him.

"What?"

"I thought you Hollywood types ate only organic, macrobiotic diets."

He grinned and shook his head. "No. I like real food."

"I'm liking you better by the minute," I said.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah." And I meant it.

I started having some Ranger guilt, though. He didn't know where I was. I didn't have a transponder on me and I'd left, assuming that he would know where I was, but now I wasn't so sure.

"Okay, what happened to the happy Princess?" Chris asked, reaching across the table to take my hand.

"Well, I sort of left while Batman was in the shower … and he doesn't know where I am." I bit my lip. "I had a really rough night last night and I don't want him to worry about me."

Our food arrived and I dug into the fries, dumping ketchup all over them.

"Tell me about last night," he said.

I went through the story and told him everything. When I was finished, he blew out a breath. "Did I tell you I think your life should be a movie?"

"Yeah, and I told you that you didn't know the half of it," I said, smiling in spite of myself.

"So, you thought that it was me you were with … and now Batman thinks that you're worried it was me you were with?" he asked, looking amused. "Is this what I am to understand?"

I nodded and took a long drink from my cup. "Yep."

"So, hmm." He took a bite of his toast.

"What?"

"Well, at the risk of sounding like a jackass, I think it means you _have_ thought about sleeping with me," he said, his eyes like blue fire burning into mine.

_Oh shit._ When did I become a sucker for blue eyes? "I, um…" No, it wasn't just the blue eyes. It was the man who talked to me and wanted to share himself with me who happened to have blue eyes that darkened with heat.

"So, this is interesting now," he said, smiling.

"Have I warned you about Batman?" I asked, changing the subject.

"No, but I agree that we should find him. After last night, if I was him and I didn't know where you were, I'd be pissed and worried. I'd want revenge the next time I saw you." He gave me an evil grin and I believed him.

I nodded and the waitress came to bring the check. I flashed her my comp badge and she nodded. I stood up to leave.

"Hey, did you just comp me?" he asked.

"Yes. What is it with you men and comps?" I asked.

"Well, I thought this was sort of a date. I was going to treat," he said and his lids lowered a bit as he stared down into my eyes. I felt a flutter in my belly and decided now was a good time to move on. There may be a Ranger in my life, but I wasn't dead. This guy was sexy as hell … and I needed to be careful of that or I wouldn't survive this cruise.

We hurried to my cabin and I started to open the door, realizing that Chris was going to follow me. "Okay, Captain. The rules are you aren't allowed in my room. If you come in, I lose my job. Stay here."

He nodded. "Aye, Aye, Princess."

I rolled my eyes. "You're an idiot sometimes."

"Yes, but you think I'm a sexy idiot."

Then he pulled me into his arms and lowered his head to mine and kissed me. His lips were soft and coaxing. I quickly heated up at their touch and had a little shock at the force of the attraction I felt for him.

Stunned, we broke apart, breathing heavily for a minute. Did I think his eyes were blue fire? They were liquid sex fringed in thick brown lashes on lowered lids. _Steamy_. My breath caught in my throat and I realized I had a real problem on my hands now. I was suddenly into Star Trek.

"I'll be right back," I said breathlessly. "Wait here."

I looked in my cabin, no Ranger. I looked in the bathroom, no Ranger. I knocked on Ranger's door. No answer. That didn't necessarily mean that he wasn't in, but I suspected he wasn't. Now I was feeling really bad.

I walked out through my door and said, "Okay, this isn't good. He's nowhere—"

The sight before me stopped me cold. Tank, Chris, and Ranger were all standing in front of me. Tank was looking a little … murderous. Ranger's eyes told me he was in controlled anger mode and Chris was somber.

"Oh, hi guys." _Hi guys?_ It was all I could think to say.

"Babe," Ranger said. "Do you know where I've been?"

I ventured a guess. "Looking for me?"

He nodded slowly. "All over the ship."

I looked at Tank and he nodded, as well.

"I'm really sorry," I said. "I didn't think."

"No," Ranger said. "You didn't."

Ranger thought for a few moments. "You know, we have to have a talk with Captain Kirk here."

Dread rushed through me. "No, there's no reason to do that."

"I think there is," he said, his tone suggested it would be wise for me to shut up. So I did.

"He needs to know what's going on because he's involved now," Ranger said quietly.

"Oh."

"You involved him."

"Oh."

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"Oh?"

Ranger muttered something in Spanish and looked from me to Chris. "You two, in my room. Now."

I looked at Chris and gave him a look that said "we're totally screwed" as Tank walked past.

He mouthed "this should be fun" as he followed Tank.

I hesitated, thoughts about running away filling my head, but Ranger's ESP kicked in and he came out and grabbed my wrist, dragging me into his room.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

…

Ranger pointed me to the bed when I walked in, Chris was seated at the desk, and Tank was standing guard at the door. I sighed and sat down. _Not my idea of fun._

"Okay," Ranger said. "A few things we need to straighten out first."

"You," he said to me, "are going to stop running off without telling me. You're going to be where I tell you and when I tell you."

I stood up to argue. "And right now you're going to sit down or I'll make you," Ranger said, looking into my eyes. I knew he meant it, so I sat down, waiting.

"Obviously," he continued, "someone's trying to hurt you or at least get you into very big trouble here, babe." I looked at Chris. He was looking between Ranger and I with a befuddled expression on his face.

I sensed trouble when he opened his mouth. "Hang on." He stood up and put his hands on his hips in an annoyed stance. Tank moved to step forward and Ranger stopped him with an almost indiscernible shake of his head. Only if you knew Ranger would you ever see it. "What gives you the right to talk to her, or anyone else for that matter, that way?"

Kirk was angry. From what I recalled, bad things happened when Kirk was angry. The trouble was, this wasn't really Kirk, but he was going against a real Batman.

"The fact that I'm responsible for her safety," Ranger said calmly. It was deceptive calm. The Captain was treading on thin ice. "And now I'm apparently responsible for yours, so it'd do you well to listen to me, too."

Chris looked at me, his face questioning. I sighed and nodded. He sat down, watching me. "I don't understand what's going on here."

I could see this was getting us nowhere. Ranger was getting annoyed. The words _Ranger _and _annoyed_ shouldn't be in the same sentence because together they produced catastrophic results. I've seen him throw a man across the room when he was annoyed. I looked at Chris. I didn't think it would be fun to see him thrown across the room.

I stood again. Ranger turned to me. "I have a solution," I said.

All three pairs of eyes were on me. "This conversation is dead." No one disagreed so far. "Let me take Captain Kirk and explain everything to him without you two goons standing around trying to intimidate him." I crossed my arms and waited.

Ranger watched me for a moment. "Alright," his voice was quiet, "done."

"What I really want to know is about the closet. We all know about it so I think it's a safe starting point." Ranger did his normal head nod. I sat down and waited.

"Well, it's simple," he said. "When Ram got there, there was nothing in the closet."

I was staring at him, waiting. Waiting for the punch line, waiting for the rest of the story, waiting for something.

"What do you mean there was nothing in the closet?" Chris asked.

"That's just what I mean. There was _nothing_ in the closet. No coats, no supplies, no blood, no carpet. It was bare." His lips were compressed ever so slightly, but I could tell it bothered him. A lot.

"That's impossible!" I said, standing and beginning to pace.

"Not really, babe. How long do you think you were asleep in the shower?" he asked.

"You were asleep in the shower?" Chris asked me.

"It'd been a harrowing evening. I got back and just sort of shut down," I said.

Ranger looked at Chris. "Well, to be honest, I couldn't remember much about last night when I woke up this morning," Chris said.

We all looked at him. Some things were starting to make sense to me. "You know, I was wondering about that. You were with me when I got sick. But then we both woke up in separate places."

"Honestly, I didn't think much of it. I got this horrible headache last night. When I woke up this morning, I just sort of figured that I did what I would normally do … saw that you were safely delivered to your room and then went to bed. Nothing seemed that off to me until I talked to you in the gym." He had a look of concentration on his face. "Afterwards, it started to bother me. I remembered the bathroom, but that was it."

"I can understand that," I said. "I woke up naked with a naked body pressed up against mine…" A very unwelcome mental image popped into my head at that moment. "Um … and I didn't know how I'd gotten there. But I'd been drinking. I always sort of pass out and lose my way when I get drunk."

"Not me. I had one beer." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I went to bed with a killer headache and woke up with one this morning. I didn't think anything suspicious until it started subsiding after we talked. But once the idea was there, I couldn't get it out of my head."

"So what are we saying here?" I asked, looking around the room.

"GHB," Ranger said.

"Both of us?" I asked, wondering what it could mean.

Ranger nodded. "This is why it's important that I know where you are at all times. Whoever is behind this is sneaky. I suspect there's help, possibly the bartender, so Ram is on it. Tank, Bobby, and I need to stay on our other guys."

"Guy-zuh?" I asked.

"Yes. There are a couple of them." I glared at Ranger.

"Who are Bobby and Ram?" Chris asked.

"More Merry Men, Captain," I said, with a wink.

"You know, I think you owe me an apology," he said crossing his arms with a smug look.

I got a guilty look on my face as I remembered calling him an asshole. "You're right. I'm sorry. If I explain it all later, am I forgiven?"

"Only if it's a hell of an explanation," he said, smiling with that hooded look. _Oh shit. Captain Kirk is flirting with me in front of Batman._

I looked to Ranger. "Okay, but what about the Captain?"

"I don't have the man power for this sort of a thing. We have things to do here. Not only do you have your escort gig with D'Amico, but now I need you to watch boy wonder here and help keep him out of trouble," he said with a resigned tone.

I looked to Chris. He had his hands up in a "what did he just call me" sort of gesture. I turned back to Ranger. "How do you want to do this?"

"First off, keep your pager on you. I'll give you a cell phone that connects directly to me." He gave me a pointed look. "Please try not to lose it or blow it up this time," he said to me.

Chris smiled. "Funny."

Ranger and Tank stared at him and I gave a guilty little smile. "Shit, you're serious?"

I put my head into my hands. "Unfortunately, yes."

"Remember that bit about how your life should be a movie?" he joked.

"Remember that bit about how I'm going to make you pay later?" I asked.

He just smiled.

"Okay, so I need a cell phone," I said, standing. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, go talk to Quist and find out if he has any news on D'Amico."

I nodded. I had been having thoughts along those lines.

Chris raised his hand slowly. "Um, I have a question."

Ranger looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Do I get to go wherever I want?"

I grinned at Ranger.

"Sure, you're not my property. I don't command your fleet, Captain. It's in your best interest to keep us close, but your life is your own," Ranger said, nodding to Tank. Tank pulled out a phone and handed it to me before they both walked out.

"Damn, that was a good comeback," Chris said. "I wish I could admire him more, but he kind of pisses me off."

"Don't worry, that's his thing." I just smiled. "Follow me, Captain."

He smiled and we walked out of the room. "Hey, what did he mean by property?"

"Just keep walking, Captain."

I had him wait in the hall while I changed into a pair of cream linen shorts long enough to cover my bandage and a sleeveless navy blue blouse. When I came out, he accompanied me up to the state dining room. "Okay. I need you to put your acting skills to good use here."

He raised an eyebrow at me.

"I'm going to ask him if he anticipates that Mr. D'Amico will recover today or if he's heard of anything. I need you to jump in and tell him you asked me if I could spend time accompanying you around the island today. D'Amico is top priority over you, sorry to say." Why did I feel the need to clarify that? "So, if he is up and around, I'm on-call. I'm on-call anyway, but I want to know if I'm on-call with the idea that I will have a free day or if I'm on-call with the idea that D'Amico will want to get started on my panties again."

Chris stared at me. "This isn't one of those _naughty_ escort gigs, is it?"

"No. I know you don't know me that well, but do I really seem like I would run that fast and loose with my panties?" I asked.

"No. But I do need some explanations here," he said.

"You'll get them. You'll get my whole freaking life story if you want it. Let's just do this thing first," I said, grabbing his hand.

He nodded and smiled, pulling me up against his chest and staring down into my eyes. "You're a little feisty."

I could only nod, my breath had gotten lost somewhere between my lungs and my mouth and I was trying to find it.

"I like feisty," he said, his voice low and velvety.

I got a warm feeling in my fast and loose panties at his statement. "Action," I croaked and turned to walk away from him. How the hell I was able to stay upright on my legs, I didn't know.

We walked into the state dining room and saw Quist giving some instructions to the workers who were resetting the tables. He saw us and, with a disapproving look at me, marched over. He was, of course, all delight and smiles to Chris. "Mr. Pine, how wonderful to see you this morning." He turned to me. "And Miss Zanetti." He turned back to Chris. "I trust she was a pleasant companion last night?"

I could see that Chris was warring between humor and disgust. He politely inclined his head to Quist. "She was an angel. In fact, she was such an angel that I asked if she could accompany me to the island today. She informed me that I would need to ask you if she was available."

Mr. Quist nodded. "Her services are promised to Mr. D'Amico, but today is your lucky day. Mr. D'Amico is still quite ill. Poor man has never been on a ship before and he is quite under the weather." He made a fluttery hand motion that suggested it was no matter. "I think it is a splendid idea for Miss Zanetti to accompany you today. Please have a pleasant time."

He turned to me. "Miss Zanetti, before you leave, might I have a word with you?" I nodded and he turned to Chris. "I'll just steal her for a moment and then you can have her back, Mr. Pine."

Chris nodded politely and walked to the entrance to wait for me.

"Look here, you little hussy," Quist said in a no-nonsense tone. "I don't know what game you're playing, but you need to keep the rules. The only reason you're not fired right now is because he seems to like you and we like to keep our guests happy."

I dropped my jaw. "Hussy? What are you talking about?"

"I suppose you haven't seen?" He gave me a look that suggested I was a tawdry slut.

"I haven't seen what?" He rolled his eyes dramatically and stomped off to his office motioning impatiently for me to follow him. I turned around and looked at Chris. He shrugged. I walked over to Quist's office and he presented me with a copy of "Us Weekly" that had a huge photo of Chris on the front, holding me to his chest as he comforted me last night when I'd been upset. The headline said, "Kirk – On New Voyage with Mystery Woman" and the inset was a picture of us dancing.

"Oh fuck!" I said before I'd had a chance to stop it.

"Precisely what I hope is _not_ happening," he said in a prudish tone.

"Oh give me a break." I looked at Quist. "There's nothing going on. I got upset at some terrible news I received last night and he rushed over and hugged me. We got to talking and we became friends. What could come of this relationship? He lives in Hollywood. I live in New York. I'm not stupid, you know."

Quist's attitude started to falter a bit. "And besides," I told him, "God knows how many women he has on the side. I'm not the sort of girl to want to be just a little morsel. I want to be the main dish."

Humor entered his eyes at that statement. "Okay, you give him hell, then. Bastard actors, they come in here like they own everything and then they get all of our girls in trouble. Maybe you'll survive after all." He looked past me and sent Chris a little fluttery wave. "Have a nice day. Keep your pager, but between you and me, I don't think D'Amico will see the light of day again until we get back to Florida."

I was flabbergasted. One minute the guy is telling me what a horrible slut I am, the next I'm his best friend. Note to self about wiry little anal retentive men … they can turn on a dime. "Wow," I said and Quist nodded.

"What was that about?" Chris asked when I rejoined him. I handed him the magazine.

He looked angry. "Hey, that was a private moment."

"Are you okay?"

He dipped his head a bit to come down to my eye level. "Are you?"

"I asked you first."

"I'm used to this. How about you?"

"Well, believe it or not, I am, too," I sighed. "Come on. Let's get off this boat so I can fill you in."

"This is going to be good." He grinned and slung his arm around my neck.

"But first, we have to show Batman the magazine."

"Oh, this is going to be bad," he said, losing the smile.

"It could have been worse!" I said, grinning.

…

"I've never seen a man throw a little magazine through a mirror before," Chris said after we left Ranger's room. "That has to be about seventy years bad luck."

I laughed. "Ranger doesn't have bad luck…ever. Besides, he could have thrown you through the window, so I'd say you were lucky it was the magazine."

We were sitting on a grassy bluff overlooking a beach. There was a little alcove that provided some privacy so we could sit and chat without being overheard or without Chris being mauled by zealous fans. When we'd landed on St. Martin, several teens from the ship had assaulted us.

Luckily, we'd been talking to Ranger, Tank, and Ram, and they'd acted as security to get us out of there. We'd decided to keep a low profile until it was time to head back to the ship. We were sitting hip to hip, me facing East and Chris facing West, so we could see each other. His hand was doing a little caress on my calf and my thoughts were getting scrambled.

"Still … doesn't he ever frighten you?" he asked.

I smiled. "Ranger is just a little intense sometimes," I said. "But he would _never_ harm me. Never."

"Assignment?" He stared at me. "Un_fucking_believable. You're a spy, aren't you?"

"No."

"Cop?"

"No."

"Private investigator?"

"Hmm … that's close."

He quirked his eyebrow at me. "Is your name really Cassandra?"

I looked at him. "No."

"What is your name, then?"

"Stephanie Plum."

"That name suits you better," he said. He was silent for a moment. "Does the woman I became friends with even exist?" he asked, sounding a little angry.

I blew at my bangs and tilted my head up to look at the cloudless sky. "Yes. Everything about me, about my personality, is exactly the same. I've been myself except for a few small details. Such as my name and where I'm from … and what my real job is."

"Okay, what is your job and where are you from?" he asked, picking a piece of grass out of my hair.

"I'm from Trenton and I'm a bounty hunter," I said.

"Seriously?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Isn't that dangerous?"

_Dangerous is an understatement._ "Yeah, it is."

"Have you ever been shot at?"

I laughed. "Several times. I've been shot a few times, too," I said. It suddenly didn't seem that funny anymore, though.

"Shot? As in with real bullets hitting you?" He looked dumbfounded.

"Yes. I've been kidnapped, burned, beaten … and almost every car I've ever owned has been blown up or destroyed." I ticked the list off on my fingers.

"Why do you keep doing this job?" he asked, his tone sounding amazed.

"I don't know. I don't really like it, but it's just something I need to do. There are mysteries to solve and bad people to get off the streets." I scooped up some sand and released it slowly through my fingers.

He smiled. "It's just that, I'm not sure I feel like I know you now."

I gave him a sad look. "Well, I guess that you have the day to figure it out, if you still want it, that is."

He cupped my cheek in his hand and turned me to face him. He stared into my eyes for a few moments. Then he smiled. "Okay, I _am _a little thrown off, but the person I've gotten to know is still there."

"What? The sad person?"

"No, the brutally honest person." He stroked his knuckles down my cheek. "You just have this honesty about you. It's the reason I kept stalking you."

"You were stalking me?" I asked.

"Well, yeah, sort of." He grinned. "I had to see what kind of woman you were because you didn't gush over me or chase me down with your phone number. And you wouldn't give me the time of day. Plus, there was Batman."

"Keep them coming back for more," I said.

"That's right, Princess."

"Hey, you know I'm not a princess, now," I said, smiling.

"Yes, but you like it when I call you that." He put his hand on my waist, his thumb caressing the little triangle of exposed skin at the seam of my shirt, back and forth.

"Okay, you got me. I like being called a princess." I nudged him with my elbow. "You like being called Captain."

"Only by you," he said.

I looked around, staring at all the people, looking for cameras.

"Are you worried about the paps?" he asked.

"No, but I am worried about Batman," I said.

"Ouch, more of that brutal honesty," he said with a sad smile.

"We have history," I said.

"So, now that you're giving me your real name, what's the scoop on you two, anyway? I know the sex friend part is real," he said, sliding his thumb beneath my shirt to caress the skin on my waist more fully, now. "Is there more to it?"

"I thought there could be once," I said.

"But?"

"His life doesn't lend itself to relationships." I used Ranger's own phrase and felt a sharp jolt through my heart.

"That's bullshit, he's crazy about you," Chris said.

I looked at him sharply.

"It's true. He stares at you and watches you no matter where you are." He looked into my eyes. "I don't get why he sent you out here with me when he knew I was going to do whatever I could to get you over to my side of the line."

"He wants me to be happy," I said with a little shrug of my shoulder.

"Meaning … happy not with him?"

"Yeah. Meaning happy not with him." Now that we'd said it out loud, it was downright depressing. I thought my heart broke a little when I finally admitted it.

"He's an idiot." I laughed a little at that. "What's so funny?" he asked in an amused tone.

"He said that to me just a few days ago about another guy," I said.

"You live a confusing life, Stephanie Plum," he said.

"Tell me about it." I got to thinking about home and my answering machine. "Do you mind if I call home to check my answering machine? I sort of left at four am on Saturday morning and didn't tell anyone I was leaving town. I didn't even pack a bag or anything. I'm sure my family has completely lost their minds."

"You did?"

"Yeah, I couldn't tell anyone. The guy we're watching has a lot of contacts in Trenton. We didn't want him to make the connection," I explained, pulling my cell phone out of my beach bag. Chris never removed his hand from my waist, he merely kept caressing my skin while I tried to ignore the unbearable fire he was building up in me.

"Wow, acting is nothing compared to the drama of life in Trenton, I guess," he said with a laugh.

"Nope, not even close." I connected with my answering machine and started listening to messages.

"Stephanie? Stephanie? Where are you? Why aren't you calling me back? Are you sick? Hello? Hello?" That was from my mother. Morelli was next, "I'm giving you twelve hours to call me, then I'm starting an investigation."

Vinnie was next, "You'd better be somewhere dying, cuz otherwise I'll kill you when I see you next." Then came Mary Lou, "Steph? Listen, I don't like to side with your family, but you really need to call home. Things are getting out of hand. Call me, please." Finally, there was another one from Morelli, "Cupcake? What is going on?" Then the tape ran out. I closed the phone and squeezed the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger.

"I take it things aren't calm on the home front." He looked into my eyes, searching, most likely for any signs of stress or upset.

"Not really." I sighed and stared into his eyes. "You really grow on a person, you know?"

"You have no idea," he said. Then he slid his hand, still on my waist under my shirt, up to my back and pulled me forward. "No idea at all." Then he kissed me. His mouth was warm and there was a spicy element to his taste that sent spirals of warmth low in my belly. His tongue explored my mouth gently. He was asking for permission, giving me the opportunity to say no. With that knowledge, I said 'yes' by opening my mouth to him.

He pulled back and looked into my eyes, his eyes darker than the rich blue ocean behind him. The color deepened further and he took my mouth this time, in a demanding kiss that stole my breath and sent pinpricks of excitement down my spine into my lower back.

I sighed and wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing closer. His other hand went to my waist and slid beneath my shirt to join the other, sliding up and down my back, drawing tantalizing circles. He moved a hand up and over the top of my shoulder and leaned me back so he could kiss the base of my neck. I gave an involuntary moan and worked my fingers into his hair, pressing him closer.

Leaning down, he popped open a button with his teeth, then another, then another until my blouse was open down the front. He tugged me onto his lap and kissed the top of each breast, his hand cupping the base of one. He slid his thumb up and flicked the flimsy fabric of my bra down past my nipple and darted his tongue out to taste it.

I sucked in a breath and he kissed across to do the same to the other breast. His thumb flitted over my nipple and then he leaned down and took it into his mouth. I gave a small gasp as sharp stabs of pleasure shot through my middle making my pelvic muscles twitch erratically.

Just then my Rangeman cell phone chirped. I gasped and slid off his lap, dragging air into my lungs, trying to regain my composure before I answered. It could only be Ranger and I didn't want to answer it like this, he would _know_. I decided I would have to call him back after I'd gotten some control back. I looked down and my nipples were hard and looking around for attention.

"Okay, this was not what I planned on today," I said, fixing my bra and buttoning up my shirt.

"Me either." His breathing was ragged and his hand was shaking. "I got carried away."

"Now you're apologizing?" I asked.

"Did I say I'm sorry?" he asked. I shook my head.

"It's just that somewhere along the way I realized that I either had to take you to my bed or I had to help you get Batman," he said, tracing a finger in the sand between us. "And when the phone rang and you nearly had a heart attack, I realized that I'm going to have to settle for being best friends with you … and help you get your man."

"Sorry," I said, miserable.

"Don't be. It's not every day that I meet someone who is as real with me as you've been." He kissed my cheek. "Besides, this week will end and then you'll be back in New Jersey and I'll be in Hollywood or off on location somewhere filming. If anyone has a life that doesn't lend itself to relationships, it's mine. I think Batman needs to understand that he does have a life with you," he said quietly. "But only if he lets me be friends with you."

I grinned and kissed his cheek.

The phone chirped again and I answered. "Yo."

"Yo, babe. We found the body." A chill ran through my veins and I felt myself starting to hyperventilate. Chris put his hands on my arms and I leaned forward, resting my head on my knees. He grabbed the phone and said, "Sorry, Stephanie is indisposed at this time. Can I help?" There were a few beats of silence.

"Ah, yeah." He listened a while longer. "Got it."

He handed the phone back grinning when I sat back up. "What was that about?" I asked.

"Oh, he wasn't happy that I took the phone from you." He stood and held out his hand to me. "He said he'll give you the details when we get back to the ship."

I nodded and took his hand and let him help me up.

"Okay, Princess. Let's make Batman jealous enough to stake a claim on you," he said.

I looked at him questioningly. He smiled. "Like this." And he leaned down to kiss me, wrapping his arms around me and lifting me up against him so that my feet left the ground. After a few moments, and just when I'd started getting breathless again, he put me back down and held my hand as we walked down from the alcove and out onto the beach.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Paparazzi freebies," he said with a huge grin on his face.

My jaw dropped. "You didn't."

He turned to look at me with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Oh yes, I did."

He held my hand as we walked on the beach. We played Frisbee for a while and then he chased me, grabbing me around the waist and lifting me off the ground so we both tumbled over with me landing on top of him, straddling his chest.

"Captain, your ass is in so much trouble when these pictures go to press," I said, grinning. I leaned down and rubbed my nose against his and he kissed my cheek. His hands gripped my hips and squeezed. We were putting on a paparazzi show and it was all for Ranger. I could only hope it wouldn't backfire.

"Just be careful, Princess. Much more of this and it won't be pretend. I still think you're damn sexy and I still want you," he said, his voice husky. That got me moving. I jumped up and we walked, arm in arm, into the village.

We laughed and talked. I told him about the Burg, he told me it didn't sound so different from Tinsel Town. He took me to a little outdoor restaurant and we sampled some Creole food that was far too spicy for me. He fed me seafood and local fruits, then we stopped at an outdoor dance floor and tried to learn some traditional dances, but made a mess of them.

We were laughing and having a blast. I hadn't had so much fun in a long time. I started to wonder if I would ever be able to go back to the real world. Around three, I called Quist's office to ask if I needed to be back for dinner. He reassured me that the doctor confirmed there was no way D'Amico would be out of bed today.

Chris offered me some strange confection that had chocolate on it when I disconnected.

"NO!" I said loudly. "No more food. I'm stuffed." I couldn't believe I was turning down food, especially chocolate. The heat was wreaking havoc on my appetite.

"Okay. Now what do you want to do?" he asked.

"Find a bathroom," I said. We looked around and finally found a facility that didn't make me want to run away screaming. "See you in a few," I said.

I went in to the restroom and ran cold water to wash my face. I felt overheated, mostly from the excitement and laughter. It felt good to cool off for a minute. Luckily, I'd remembered sunscreen so I wasn't getting burned. I dried off my face with a paper towel and came up face to face with Louisa, one of the wait staff.

"Oh, hey, Louisa," I said. I rubbed some cold water on the back of my neck and patted it dry. "It's so warm outside. Have you been to the beach?"

"No." Guess she wasn't much of a talker, or else she couldn't understand me.

"I'll see you later." I waved and smiled. I turned around to leave and felt something heavy smack me in the back of the head. I had just enough time to think about how much it hurt when I passed out.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

…

I groaned and worked at opening my eyes. They weren't cooperating, but bit by bit, I cracked open first one lid, and then the other. My vision was blurry and the room was dim so I couldn't see much. I lifted my head to look around and I began swimming in a sea of nausea and pain. Closing my eyes, I dropped my head back and took a few breaths.

I tried again a few minutes later when the nausea subsided. I started to roll onto my side and discovered I was tied spread eagle to a frame. This new concern sobered me up enough to be able to focus my vision a little. I was in a dark, dingy room, possibly a shed. The only light was coming through a cruddy window about the size of a box of tissues up near the ceiling.

Slowly, I lifted my head to try to look around again and discovered my hair was tangled up. I looked to my right and left and realized that the frame was actually a metal bed with no mattress. I was lying directly on the springs and my hair was caught in them. It was a painful position. My next realization was that I was completely naked. I could feel the little hooks cutting into my flesh in various places, like my upper back and my buttocks, where I was heaviest and pressed harder against the metal.

I determined that whatever was in store for me would probably be painful and traumatic. Cold fear washed over me. I began to panic and started struggling against my bonds, gasping in pain when I felt the metal scraping and hooking onto my flesh.

A door opened, light flooded into the shed, and then it was gone when the door closed. I heard shuffling steps walking toward me and then Louisa came into my vision. She was a small woman, about five feet two inches, small-boned and thin with waist-length black hair that was unwashed and unkempt. She was staring at me, her eyes looking a little _un-normal_.

"Louisa," I said, licking my lips. "Why do you have me here?"

"You're in the way," she said dully. She had a little black case with her which she started unzipping. What I saw when she opened it and laid it out across my chest nearly made me pass out. There were three syringes, a tourniquet, and a vial of liquid. She picked up the tourniquet and tied it around my upper arm above my elbow. Then she lifted up a syringe and the vial, plunged the needle in and began filling it until the plunger went up about an eighth of an inch. She flicked the syringe with her fingers a few times with the needle pointing upward and depressed the plunger a bit and some of the liquid dribbled out. "Air bubbles," she said by way of explanation.

My heart started banging in my chest. She lowered the syringe, inserted the needle into my vein and depressed the plunger, then removed the tourniquet. "What is that?" I asked, my voice several octaves higher than normal. I was fighting back tears.

"Something to relax you," she said with a crazy smile. "Tell me when you feel relaxed."

I choked on a sob, hoping the relaxation wasn't eternal when I started feeling calmer. A pleasant feeling came over me and I got a rush of warm coziness running through my body. I smiled, this wasn't so bad.

"Feeling relaxed?" she asked.

"Oh yeah. That was nice," I told her. We smiled at each other.

"Good. I'm going to be gone for a bit. Have a nice time," she said, packing up. She left and I gave her a little finger wave from one of my trapped hands. "Oh, I forgot. My hands are tied up!" I giggled and started humming a tune.

Louisa was gone for several hours. I happily watched the light change and begin to wane. It was dark when she returned and I was grumpy and trembling, feeling intense pain in my body. "This sucks. I want up," I hissed.

She nodded calmly and opened the case. "You'll be fine in a minute."

"No, I don't want any more of that. You're trying to make me forget that I'm tied up." I started crying. "Just leave me alone!" I yelled. "Where is Chris? What did you do with him?"

"Chris is where he's supposed to be. On the ship. And now you can't take him away from me anymore." I couldn't believe it. The stuff that had happened to me had nothing to do with D'Amico, nothing to do with what Ranger was doing. This was all because I'd made friends with Captain Kirk.

"We're just friends. You can have him all you want," I said. "Besides, he's going back to California at the end of the week, then what will you do?"

"That's where I live. I protect him. I watch that he doesn't have any crazies like you hurting him." I dropped my jaw.

My body was getting sore and I was feeling rage begin to fill me. "Me? You're the crazy psycho bitch injecting me with drugs!"

"I'll let you go when he is gone, but until then I can't have you screaming. The people next door are nosy." With that I opened my mouth and screamed a blood curdling scream of rage and fear. Quickly, she snapped on the tourniquet and filled the syringe to a quarter of an inch this time.

"Do you know what you're doing with that? Can you give me that much?" I asked, watching as she lowered the needle.

"Yes, you could handle about twice this much before anything really bad would happen." She injected the drug. "Don't tempt me. If you scream again, I'll give you a whole syringe full and then you won't have to worry about when you're leaving here."

That sent fear rippling through me for about ten seconds, then the drug hit. "Wooooooowwww!" I said, pleasure rushing through me. "Oh wow, that is sa-weeeet." I laughed.

She smiled. "See? I knew you would like that." She packed up and turned to leave. "You be a good girl now."

"Okay." I said dreamily. "Oh, wow. This is so nice. Niiiice."

Later wasn't so nice. I was sick and shaking. I felt like I was going to throw up and I couldn't control my bodily functions. Realization was starting to come back, but I had this hazy feeling that I was going to feel worse if she didn't come back. Somewhere in my clouded brain, I remembered that I was supposed to be trying to escape, but escape seemed like too much work.

Where was I? _Oh yeah._ St. Martin. The ship was probably gone. Ranger was probably gone. Captain Kirk was probably gone. Was Louisa gone? When would she come back? I wasn't quite able to feel worried about it, yet, but the idea was starting to enter my mind.

The truth was, I didn't mind the happy feelings. It felt damn good and I knew I should be afraid of it, but I couldn't bring myself to muster up the fear, either. However, the reality that I didn't feel good _at all_ when it wore off made me think about getting out of there.

"Shit!" I said. "This is not cool. I peed on the floor, I'm gross and I don't think I even want the guys to rescue me if they're going to see me like this." I rolled my eyes. "Now I'm talking to myself. She gave me the drug that makes you crazy."

I remembered her warning about screaming, but I thought talking might not be so bad. Maybe someone would hear me and check it out. At least it kept me calm and thinking. Thinking was good. I hadn't been doing much of that since I'd woken up here.

Louisa came back a couple of hours later and I was in bad shape. "Please. I'm hurting all _over_. Just let me go. I need to go to bed in a real bed. I need something to drink. I'll do whatever you want, but please, let me go." I was to a new level of hysteria I hadn't quite reached before. Drug induced hysteria is not normal. I knew it wasn't normal, but I couldn't stop it. My body was in immense pain, I was shaking uncontrollably and my stomach was cramping.

"In just a minute it will be alright," she said tying on the tourniquet again.

"No! NO!" I yelled, fighting my bonds. "Nooooooo! I don't want it!"

"Shhh. I waited too long, but I had to make it through dinner and cleanup," she said. Then she filled the syringe and flicked out the air bubbles.

"Stop!" I was screaming and crying. "Please! Stop!"

"Do you want me to fill this syringe full?" she asked, picking up the vial. As it was, she was at the quarter inch dose again.

I whimpered and shook my head.

"Hold still or I'll break the needle off in your arm." Her eyes were wild as she spoke.

I nodded and watched as she inserted the syringe. I was pissed and excited. I loved the rush, but I knew it was bad. She was doing this to me. I saw the plunger move, the tourniquet released, the liquid leave the syringe, and I had a few seconds to feel terror fill me before the euphoria hit.

"Oh my God!" I shouted with a laugh. "Oh shit. You should try this. It's like sex without the work." I was laughing.

Louisa giggled and put her kit away. "You're funny. I think I would like you if you hadn't taken my Chris away from me."

"Chris Shmish," I said. "Chris Smish, Smish Chris Chrimsh. Ha ha. I can't say it anymore." I laughed lazily. "Ohhhhh Smishy Smishy."

Louisa smiled and left.

"Chris. Captain Chris. Chrissy."

A little while later, the door opened and I saw his face swimming in front of mine. "Chrissy!" I laughed maniacally. "Come here. I have the funniest thing to tell you!"

He looked sober and maybe a little afraid. "Awww, what's wroooong?" I asked giggling.

"Shit," he said. He pulled a cell phone from his shorts pocket and pressed a button. After a few seconds he said, "Yeah, I found her." A short pause. "The little brown shack behind the market." Another pause. "I think she's high, really high."

"High hi hi hi hi," I said, my tone of voice going from sing-song to Minnie Mouse quality. "Heigh ho, heigh ho. Hey, am I a high 'ho?" I asked.

"No." He looked around the shack for a second and then returned, unbuttoned his shirt and covered me with it.

"Oh Chrissy, you are one sexy man." I stared at his chest and arms. He was _very_ built. "I'm already naked, come here."

He checked my legs and arms, then swore. "I can't get you loose."

"That's okaaay," I said. I started bouncing my hips up and down making the bed squeak. "See, it's an amusement park. Come here and amuuuuuse me," I said.

He shook his head, his expression angry.

"Hey, don't get maaad at me. I think you need to have more fuunnn," I said.

"I can't believe this." He turned around and punched a crate, shattering the wooden slats on the end and knocking it across the room.

"Wow, you need to relax," I said, laughing.

The door to the shack opened and Ranger stepped in.

"Oh my God! Two of you. Threesome!" I yelled out.

Ranger cocked an eyebrow.

"I told you she was high," Chris said by way of warning. "I can't get her out of there, no tools." He pointed to my ankles and wrists. "They're some sort of medieval clamps or something."

"God Carlos. You need to talk more. And you need to lighten up," I said with a lazy smile. "Did you know that I'm in love with you? Did you?" I laughed. "I am. Wow, this stuff is like liquid Ranger."

Ranger stared at me, his mouth compressed in a tight line. "No one's going to have any secrets anymore if we don't get her out of here." He picked up his phone. "Yeah, I need my kit."

"Ranger Smanger," I said. "God, you hurt my feelings a lot this week. But I'm feeling muuuch better now." I smiled. "Come here and give me a kiss."

"This is grim," Chris said.

Tank came in and his eyes got large as golf balls in his head. "I have the kit."

"Tank bank bo bank, banana fana fo fank." I giggled. "Tank, come here. These guys won't play with me. Come here and give me a kiss. Wow, you're a big guy. I'll bet _every_thing is big." I laughed.

Tank looked like he was going to pass out. "I think I should wait outside."

"Go get the golf cart and some clothes for her," Ranger said. Tank nodded and left.

"Come on!" I yelled. "You guys are a snooze!" I pouted. Ranger started working on the wrist closest to him and got my hand free after a few minutes. I reached out to caress his cheek.

"I love you," I said.

"I know you do, babe," he said, working on my other wrist.

I grabbed at his face and turned him to face me. "No, I mean, I really_, really_ love you." I smiled.

He kissed me lightly on the forehead. "I know. I love you, too, babe."

"Love, love, love. Love without a ring," I said.

He glanced at me.

"Shit. Is that what you told her?" Chris asked, his expression incredulous.

Ranger glanced up at him.

"God, this is all starting to make some sort of weird sense." He had his hands on his hips and he was staring angrily down at Ranger. "Just what is your problem, man?"

Ranger worked at my ankle. "I know that you're upset right now, so I'm going to let it slide. If you continue to talk to me that way, I'll move your nose to another part of your face."

"Move his nose?" I laughed gleefully. "Ranger, Chris is an _amazing_ kisser. You should kiss him!" I grinned.

Ranger shook his head slightly. "Must be some really good shit."

Chris shook his head. "If it wasn't so upsetting, I'd think it was funny."

"Captain!" I said smacking my forehead. "I was supposed to come back and hang out with you some more!"

"It's okay, Princess."

"Nooo, no. We will have to go do something fun. I want to try that surfing thing on the main deck. Can we do that?" I looked at him.

He smiled and took my hand. "Anything. Anything you want."

"Yay for me!"

Ranger got my other leg released and started to lift me up.

"Hey! I'm stuck!" I said, giggling uncontrollably. "My hair is caught in the springs!"

"Babe, I'm going to have to cut it."

"Cut my hair?" I asked dreamily. "Do you want to cut my hair?"

"No, babe. I don't want to cut your hair," he kissed my temple, "but I have to."

"Okay, Batman." I smiled at him. "Do what you gotta do."

"Wow, you are an idiot. Look how much she trusts you, even when she's out of her mind," Chris said, shaking his head and walking out of the shack.

"I know you don't like that sort of thing," I said with a snort, "but don't kill him. He's my friend."

"Okay, babe."

He cut my hair with a knife he pulled out from beneath his pants cuff at his ankle and lifted me up carefully, extracting my skin from the coils and hooks beneath me.

Chris walked in with a black T-shirt, black shorts and a black ball cap. "No underwear."

"That's the least of our worries," Ranger said, grabbing the T-shirt and pulling it over my head. He leaned down with the shorts and said, "Step in, babe."

"Step in?" I felt a hand close around my ankle and lost my balance. Chris came over and stood behind me to keep me steady. Then Ranger lifted my foot and slid it into the shorts. Then he did the same with the other and pulled them up. He tucked the cap onto my head and lifted me into his arms.

"Okay, babe. Let's get you back to the ship so we can take you home."

I put my arms around his neck and nuzzled against him. "Ranger transportation." I smiled and giggled a bit.

"We need to figure out who did this," Chris said, staring back at the bed, his hands clenched at his sides.

"Louisa!" I said.

He turned to me. "What?"

"Louisa! She said that you're her man and I was in the way." I grinned. "Isn't that so funny? She's a crazy woman!"

"Shit," Chris said.

"Who's Louisa?" Ranger asked.

I gasped dramatically. "You mean you don't know?" I asked laughing. "You know everything!"

"Not everything," Batman said looking at Chris.

"She's this crazy woman who has been stalking me ever since I was in _Princess Diaries 2_," he said. "She got this idea that I was the man of her dreams and she started following me. I have a restraining order." He sighed and rubbed his temples. "She was in a psychiatric ward for a while. I didn't even see her on board the ship."

"Would you know her if you saw her?" Ranger asked.

"Oh yeah."

Ranger nodded. "Let's get Stephanie to the ship's doctor."

Chris held open the door. He had on a black ball cap and black sunglasses. I reached out a hand as we went past. "You're coming with us, aren't you?"

"Not even Batman could keep me away," he said hooking his fingers with mine.

"Batman could, but Batman won't," Ranger said.

…

I was on my stomach asleep when I heard the door open and close. I couldn't sleep on my back, yet. The cuts on my back and legs were stitched and I was bruised from the springs pressing into my skin. Ranger and the Captain had gotten me back to the ship in record time and rushed me up to Tyler.

Things were rough for a few days. It took me some time to get past the effects of the drug wearing off. Heroin. She'd given me heroin. They'd caught her and found out that she'd made the mix herself. They'd never recovered the vial, so they weren't sure of the potency or if she'd added anything else to it.

Ranger had been with me the entire time, giving me drinks of water, holding me when I'd cried, and just being a source of strength for me. The fearful thing was that there were points during the first couple of days where I was so miserable that, if I'd been able to get my hands on some more, I probably would have used it.

I was past that point now and I just had to physically heal from my injuries. Louisa had hit me with a heavy, blunt object to knock me out, but luckily her intent was just to disable me, not cause severe damage. I'd probably had a concussion, but by the time I was found about twelve hours later, the most pressing problems were heroin, dehydration, and the cuts.

The ship had stayed docked at St. Martin until I was found. They were supposed to set off for St. Barts, but the fact that I was missing delayed the departure. We were back aboard the ship, but when we got to Jamaica, Ranger was flying me home. Tank, Ram, and Bobby were staying behind to continue the surveillance. Somehow, they were able to keep their mission a secret through all the craziness surrounding me.

"Hey."

I raised my head to see Chris entering my cabin. "Are you breaking the rules, Captain?" I asked, teasing.

"You don't work here anymore, remember?" He smiled. "Is this okay?"

I nodded. "Always."

He sat in my desk chair. It had been moved to the side of my bed so I could better see my visitors. I didn't have a lot, obviously, but Tank came and sat with me a few times, Ranger was always there, and Chris had been in a few times when I was lucid.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked.

"Yeah. More like myself, but tired … and sore," I said indicating to the back of my body with my head.

"Princess, that was the most awful thing I have ever witnessed," he said. He had about two days of beard growth and he looked tired. "I feel like this is all my fault."

"What?" I looked at him sharply. "Why would you say that?"

"This never would have happened to you if I'd left you alone," he said quietly.

"You can't just leave everyone alone forever. You eventually want to have a life, you know," I said.

"I know, but I should have been expecting something like this and I wasn't." He leaned forward and took my hand. "When you didn't come back from the bathroom and I finally realized that something was wrong, it was scary. Like, for real scary."

"Just think, having a real fright like that will make you a better actor." I smiled and squeezed his hand.

"I'm not ready to experience that again." He looked into my eyes. "I didn't know what was worse, the fact that I didn't know where you were or the fact that I had to tell Batman that you were lost."

I smirked. "Ironically, a lot of people feel that way."

"I know the feeling. He wasn't happy," he said with a half-smile. "But, he was fair. He didn't blame me. When I found you on that bed naked like that with the things you were saying, I almost lost it. I mean, _really_." He shuddered. "I'd never seen anything like that before."

"How did you find me?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "We were scouring the island for you. I happened to see one of your sandals in the sand by the door to the shed and decided to take a look. You know the rest."

I groaned. "I know. Listen, I'm sorry about anything I said…"

"Don't worry about it. I knew right away that you weren't yourself." He smiled. "Okay, but some of it was funny later on when you were okay."

"Like what?" I asked, afraid to hear.

"Like when you told Ranger that I was an amazing kisser and that he should kiss me." He laughed softly.

"Oh my God!"

"Oh yes."

"He's never said anything to me."

"Batman strikes me as the kind to wait until the moment is right," he said. He pressed my hand between his for a minute. "He's taking you home this afternoon."

"You're going to miss me, Captain," I said.

"Yeah, I am." He smiled sadly. "I go to New York frequently, though. Maybe we could get into some trouble together up there."

"Yeah. Do you think you'll really call me?" I asked.

"Yes, if you give me a real number."

"I don't give out fake numbers … very often," I said with a wink.

He leaned down and hugged me gently and kissed my cheek. "I'll see you around, Princess," he whispered into my ear.

Tears filled my eyes. I really was going to miss him. "You know what sucks about making friends?" I asked, my voice a little wobbly.

"What's that?"

"Saying goodbye to them." A tear slipped down my cheek.

He kissed it away and smiled at me, his blue eyes sparkling. "I don't say goodbye. It's always 'I'll see you around' with me."

"Okay." He gave me a pad of paper and a pen and I wrote down my information. "If you don't call me, we're not friends anymore and I'll kick your ass if I ever run into you again."

"I _will_ call you," he said. "Besides, I've never been to Trenton. You'll have to give me a tour of the Burg and introduce me to your parents."

I reached up and felt his forehead. He sent me a look of confusion. "I was just checking to see if you had a fever. Don't you remember me telling you that taking a man home to dinner in the Burg was like announcing your engagement?"

He laughed. "Well, it wouldn't be far off. I think if I'd spent many more days with you, my feelings would be somewhere along those lines."

"I thought we were just best friends," I said.

"Doesn't mean I can't fall for you," he said.

I gave him a worried look. "I didn't," he reassured me. "I'm just saying maybe I could have, if I'd let it happen."

I smiled and we locked eyes. Then he leaned down and gave me the most breathtaking "I'll see you around" kiss I'd ever had. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Me, too." I smiled.

"I'll see you later, Princess."

"Aye, aye, Captain." He smiled and left.

There were still tears in my eyes when Ranger walked in. He studied me for a minute. "I take it Captain Kirk left."

I nodded. "He stopped in to tell me he'd see me around."

"He kissed you, too."

I looked at him. How did he know?

He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. "Your lips are all swollen and sexy." He kissed my temple. "And red. Your lips get red when you're kissed. It's like dessert." He kissed my cheek. "And your eyes become luminous." He kissed the corner of my mouth. "And your cheeks become rosy." He kissed the other corner. "There's something so beautiful about you when you've been kissed." Then he kissed me and I remembered that Batman could still one-up Captain Kirk.

He pulled back. "Are you ready to go?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready."

There was a light rap on my door. "Knock, knock." Quist popped his head around the corner.

"Hi, Mr. Quist."

He strode in with quick little steps. "Everything's ready." He turned to look at me. "I just wanted to come in and say goodbye and let you know you have a job here anytime you'd like to ride the high seas with us and make a little money."

_Hmm, something to keep in mind_. I smiled. "Thank you."

"Take care," he said and left just as quickly as he'd come in.

"That guy has too much energy," I groaned. "Just being around him makes me tired."

Ranger smirked.

Tank entered the room. "Ready?"

"Yeah, let's go."

Ranger helped me turn over and scooped me into his arms gently. I settled in, wincing a few times. "Sorry, babe."

"It's okay." He stared into my eyes. "No, what happened to you was not okay. If she hadn't been crazy…"

He didn't finish his sentence and I didn't think I wanted him to. I already suspected that Ranger had killed for me once.

He took me out to the main deck and helped me disembark. We'd waited until the other passengers left before we left my cabin. When we got to the gangway, he carried me down to a waiting Jeep. He set me in the passenger seat and helped me buckle up. I looked up at the ship and saw the Captain standing at the railing watching us. I waved and he waved back with a smile. Then Ranger and I were on our way.

"Sorry about your mission," I said.

"Your safety is more important."

"Well, I'm safe now," I said. "I could have just stayed in my cabin."

"Okay, so maybe your safety _and_ your comfort are more important," he said, shifting gears.

"You could have had one of the other guys take me back," I said.

"Is that what you wanted?" he asked.

"No. I'm just saying you didn't have to do this."

"After what happened, I'm going to make sure that you are safely delivered." He flicked his eyes my way. "Besides, I have enough information on this that I can work on it from Rangeman. And I thought you might need someplace to hide out for a while."

"Why would I need to hide out?" I asked.

"You haven't been home, you haven't called anyone, you disappeared suddenly, then photos of you and Captain Kirk all over each other were in every tabloid from here to Europe." He looked at me for a second.

"Oh ... yeah, we did that on purpose."

"Kirk told me," he said, his expression unreadable. "Anyway, I figured you might need a place to stay."

"Have any place in mind?" I asked.

He just smiled.

"What is going on with this investigation, anyway?" I asked. "What is D'Amico involved in?"

"Human trafficking," he answered. "D'Amico and D'Angelo are bringing girls, sometimes boys, in from Southeast Asia and Malaysia to sell as prostitutes or sex slaves to the highest bidders." He was silent for a few moments. "They bring in children as young as five."

"That's disgusting."

"It's one of the fastest growing crimes. D'Amico is pretty high level, but we want to bring in some bigger fish."

"So you were hoping that he would be meeting up with him on this cruise." I guessed.

He nodded. "D'Angelo."

"I got creepy chills from that guy at dinner the first night," I said.

"He's not a good guy."

I nodded. "So now what?"

"Nothing. You're not involved anymore. We just needed you to keep him busy. That was handled by nature and then, unbelievably, you found your own trouble." He shook his head slightly.

"It's a talent," I said and he gave a slight shake of his head. "Why aren't the police doing this?" I asked.

"We're helping a government agency. This is out of police jurisdiction," he said, turning left onto a small access road.

"I see."

"We're here and the plane is ready." He looked out at a small tarmac with a little Cessna waiting.

"Where's the pilot?" I asked.

"Right here," he said scooping me into his arms.

"I didn't know you could fly." I stared at him in wonder.

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me."

_No kidding._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

…

We took a chartered jet home as soon as we'd landed in Florida. It never ceased to amaze me how Ranger had everything in his life come together with precision and expertise. Everything in my life came together with prayer and begging, and even then it didn't always line up.

He helped me onto the plane and settled me into my seat. Then he sat beside me, tucking me into his side. "Are you okay, babe?" he asked.

I nodded, pressed my head to his chest, and closed my eyes. Mid-flight I woke up and tilted my head back to look at Ranger. His eyes were closed and he was sleeping. I hadn't noticed the weariness in his face, but I supposed it was inevitable that Batman would wear down. He'd been taking care of me constantly since my ordeal.

I reached up to kiss his temple and he woke up. "Babe."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," I said softly.

"You didn't. I was just resting my eyes." He looked at me. He was relaxed and it was … _cuddly_. I wondered who this Ranger could be.

"Who are you?" I asked.

He cocked his head. "What do you mean?"

"You. I've never seen you act like this before," I said.

He fixed a steady gaze on me. "This is who I want to be all the time when I'm with you."

"Why me?"

"Do you really have to ask?"

"Now you're starting to sound like the Ranger I know," I said with a smile.

"I'm starting to wake up," he said.

"I thought you weren't asleep."

He shook his head slightly and then kissed me. His lips were soft and expertly caressed mine. His arm was around my shoulders, avoiding my wounds. He held my face with his other hand, lightly caressing my neck and jaw. His tongue caressed my mouth and teased my tongue. Then he broke away and kissed my temple in deep thought. He surprised me by opening up a few minutes later.

"It's been a long couple of days. I thought I was going to kill Kirk when he called me and told me he couldn't find you." He nuzzled my neck. "I thought that it was D'Angelo. We couldn't get a handle on him. He'd slipped out from under our radar somehow. I hate to say it, but I was relieved to find out that it was just some garden variety psycho stalker." He nibbled at my ear. "There's no telling what D'Angelo is capable of doing."

I nodded. "The Captain was really upset."

"Guess playing danger isn't close enough to real life danger to give you the tools you need to cope with something like this." He kissed me again. "I was trying to go easy on him, but he started pushing my buttons."

"He's a pretty honest guy," I said.

"An honest guy like that would be good for you," he said quietly.

I looked away trying to figure out if I was more hurt or angry. First Morelli and now Chris. He really didn't want me in his life.

I sat up when I felt the plane tip forward in descent. "We landing soon?"

He nodded and we buckled our belts.

"Just one thing," I said when we were settled again. He looked at me. "At some point, you're going to have to realize that if you really love me enough, you're going to have to let me decide which man is best for me." We locked eyes. "And if you don't love me enough to be that man, then you need to tell me."

We were almost on the ground by now, so the conversation was over.

It was just after midnight when we arrived at Rangeman. He carried me up to his apartment and tucked me into his bed. I settled onto my stomach and turned to look at his retreating back. "You're not staying in here?"

"I'm afraid that I would forget not to touch you and I'd hurt you." He smiled. "Don't worry. As soon as you're back to normal, I'll be in here with you."

_Mmm, _I thought. Then I had to wonder what it all meant.

I slept like a baby that night. I always slept peacefully in Ranger's bed. It wasn't just the security of the building or the softness of his sheets, but it was the man himself. He was here in the apartment and that knowledge gave me the security to sleep a deep, dreamless sleep.

I slowly slid out of bed and went into his bathroom to shower. After, I pulled my hair into a ponytail and spritzed some gel into my curls to help tame them. I swiped on some mascara and lip balm, then worked my way to Ranger's kitchen. He was there working on filling his plate from a tray of fresh fruit, granola, and yogurt that Ella had brought up. I looked around at the familiar surroundings. Everything was black from his counter tops to his furniture. It was all new and expensive.

I saw Rex's cage on a stand by the couch. "Hey Rex!" I said, grabbing a grape from the tray and walking over to him. He already had food and water in his cage, but I dropped the grape in anyway. He sniffed at the grape and selected a walnut instead, but he wiggled his whiskers at me. I smiled. I had missed him. I liked taking care of him and showing him that I cared about him.

This thought made me ponder Ranger's actions over the past few days. He'd been with me practically every second of every day since they'd rescued me from the shed. I knew that he loved me and I knew that he'd been worried about me. I didn't understand his obsession with keeping me at arm's length. I knew he had dangerous missions he went on periodically, but mostly he was here. His business was becoming more administrative than manhandling. I was completely baffled.

"Earth to Stephanie," Ranger said.

I looked at him. "Do you want something to eat?" he asked.

I walked over and loaded fruit and yogurt onto a plate. I studied him as I nibbled on the food. "What do you have going on today?"

"I have some people I need to see. I thought I would drop you off at your mother's so you can bear her wrath and explain the tabloids." He grinned.

I rolled my eyes. "Jerk," I said.

We left as soon as I finished eating and were on our way to my mother's when I started having second thoughts. "Okay, maybe this will just blow over. I don't need to go there. Why don't you just take me with you and I'll wait in the car?"

He almost smiled. "You've got to let her know you're back sometime, babe. She was a wreck and worried about you."

"How do you know?"

"I called her yesterday and told her that I had you and I was bringing you home," he explained

"Did she say anything about the tabloids?"

"No, but I didn't expect her to say anything to me about them." He had a point. She was storing all of that up for me.

He pulled up in front of my parents' brown and yellow duplex and kissed me. "That's for luck," he said.

"Thanks." The front door opened and my mother came tumbling out to stand on the porch and wait.

"When do you want me back, babe?"

"As soon as possible," I said, opening the door and looking out to my doom. Ranger carried me up to the house, up the steps, past my mother after saying hello, and went inside to deposit me gently on the couch. When he was gone, I looked up to see my mother standing in the doorway staring at me and felt the hot coals piling up on top of my head.

"Do you want some lunch?"

"I had a late breakfast." I waited for the explosion, but none came.

"Well, uh, I just made lunch. Give me a few moments to eat and then I'll be back." I nodded and she left, leaving me to think about what I would say to her.

"I don't understand this!" my mother said fifteen minutes later. She was standing in front of me with a _Star_ magazine in her hands pointing at the picture. I was lying face down on her couch, propped up on my elbows. The magazine featured a shot of Chris and I mid-heavy petting when we'd thought we were safe from eyes and cameras. He had his mouth down inside my shirt and I remembered exactly what he was doing with that mouth when I saw the picture. I felt my pelvic muscles contract at the memory. The caption read: PINE TREKS ALONG NEW PATH

"He's just a friend!" I said. "We met on the ship and got to know each other."

"I'll say!" She threw her hands up in resignation. "Betty Gotti doesn't have a daughter who goes around having sex in public with movie stars and getting photographs taken of her. Suzanne Greecher doesn't have a daughter who lets a man fondle her after they'd known each other only two days." _Think again,_ I thought.

My mother continued, "Why do you have to this wild life _with_ photographic evidence of it plastered all over in newspapers and magazines? I don't understand!" I felt bad. She'd been really stressed about my disappearance and now she had the whole Burg breathing down her neck about my very public, disgraceful behavior. "Not to mention the fact that you just took off without saying so much as a word and worried everyone. I thought maybe one of those violent criminals you track down finally came to finish you off."

She sat down on the armchair and burst into tears. I stared at her. As long as I've known my mother, I've seen her cry maybe once and that was because my dad's sister, her best friend, had died.

My Grandma Mazur was sitting in the other armchair absorbing the conversation. "I think he's a real pip of a man. I'd like to see what he looks like under that Star Trek uniform." Grandma Mazur had been with me when we'd gone to the theater to watch Star Trek with Mooner.

My mother made the sign of the cross and the doorbell rang. Grandma Mazur opened it and Ranger stepped in. She was eyeballing him in a way that had Ranger cringing. I knew the only thing that brought him into my mother's house was because he knew I needed help getting out, or else he'd have waited in the car.

"Did you see the pictures of my granddaughter in the tabloids?" She asked him.

Ranger nodded.

"I'll bet you wished you had made a move on her first," she said with a grin, elbowing him in the side. "Say, you have a strong stomach. Do you mind if I take a look under the hood?"

"I think that it's time I took Stephanie home so she can rest. She's been through a lot." He walked over and scooped me up off the couch, a bit too rough. I gasped and held on. He really wanted out of the house. I almost smiled. Almost. But I wasn't stupid.

We were just about to the door when Ranger flinched.

"I'll be damned," Grandma said. "His ass feels like it's been chiseled from granite."

I lost it. I broke down, burying my face into Rangers neck and laughing. "You're going to pay for this," he whispered.

He got me into his Porsche 911 Turbo and started down the street. "Where to?" he asked.

"How about we get the office out of the way? Besides, I want you by my side when Vinnie sees me. He's likely to kill me," I muttered.

Secretly, I was dreading the trip to the office, but it couldn't be avoided. It was where I worked, after all.

Ranger rolled up in front of the building and walked around to lift me out of the car. I could see Lula and Connie gaping at us before we walked through the door. Ranger stopped, holding me in his strong arms for a minute when we first walked in. No one spoke. Lula and Connie sat fanning themselves and Ranger stood holding me. I half suspected he was showing off.

Vinnie crashed out of his office and stopped short at the sight of Ranger. "Ah, Connie said you were back," he said to me. He looked at Ranger standing there holding me and said, "Christ, what did you two do, get married?"

I thought Lula would drop on the spot.

"No," I said. I looked at Ranger and he gently deposited me onto the scarred and worn faux leather couch. "It's a really long story."

"Does it have anything to do with that pretty white boy you was kissin' all over St. Martin?" Lula asked. "I can't believe this. I had to hear about you and your new man from a magazine. Is it too much to ask for a phone call? It don't take long. You pick up the phone and dial my number and say, 'Hey Lula, I gotta new man and he's rich and famous.' It's simple. But did I get a phone call from you? No. I tell you the shit I put up with from some people. It's a damn shame," she said all in one breath. I sat there looking at her in a daze.

"He's not my new man," I said weakly.

"Girl, did you even _see_ those pictures?" Lula grabbed a copy of _People_ off Connie's desk. "Look at this: CAPTAIN KIRK PINE-ing AWAY ON NEW VOYAGE. Look at this picture. He's got his tongue on your nipple." I cringed a bit. That segment of our afternoon hadn't been for show. "Look at this picture of you sitting on top of him and kissing him." It was the shot of me straddling his chest when I'd rubbed noses with him. Of course, people couldn't see that because my hair was in the way.

"I'll tell you," Lula said. "When I saw that picture, I thought to myself 'Man, that Stephanie got sexy men comin' out her ears, but she had to pick one that had crazy men with cameras running after her.' It wasn't smart is what it wasn't," she said. "But just out of curiosity. How is Captain Kirk's little starship. Does it get the job done?"

I sat stunned on the couch, slack jawed. I looked up at Ranger and he wasn't amused. In fact, he wasn't happy at all. "I never met his … starship."

Lula gave me a look. "Uh-hunh."

Vinnie broke in. "Well, I don't give a shit whose starship you met, I care about the fucking pile of skips that have accumulated since you've been off playing. You need to get started on these files right away."

"Stephanie is out of commission until further notice," Ranger said, putting an abrupt end to Vinnie's tirade.

"Oh my god! You _did_ get married! And I didn't even get to put on a bridesmaid's dress! That's just a nasty thing to do your friends. Some people, they just only think about themselves," she said.

I sighed. "We didn't get married."

Everyone looked at me. "I sort of had an incident. I have stitches all over the back of my body and I can't run around and chase skips until I'm healed."

"Geez!" Connie said. "What'd you do? Jump through a plate glass window?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I said. "I'll be in as soon as I can move around better."

"I'll come in later and get a stack of files that I can clear for you over the next couple of days," Ranger said to Vinnie.

"I can't afford your fee on these low bonds," Vinnie said, stammering.

"I'm doing these for Stephanie. And you'll be lucky if I ever do anything for you again if you talk to her that way again," Ranger said, scooping me off the couch and piercing Vinnie with a dark look. Vinnie gulped and slunk back toward his office.

"I'll be damned," Vinnie said as we walked out. "They did get married."

"Go, Captain Kirk," Lula and Connie murmured together.

I sighed and buried my face in Ranger's shoulder, shaking my head from side to side. "They're all impossible."

Ranger was silent. He tucked me back inside his car and pulled out into the street. "I thought you might want to check out your apartment."

"Yeah."

When we got to my building, Mr. Wolesky came out and asked me if Ranger and I were married because he was carrying me, what happened with Captain Kirk, and that he'd been worried when he didn't see me around for a few days.

I was mentally exhausted and annoyed by the time we got to my apartment.

Ranger set me on the couch and looked around. "Well, everything is the way we left it, except for the fingerprint dust. Looks like they launched an investigation. We should probably tell them you're back."

He walked over to the answering machine and I stopped him. "There's nothing on there I haven't heard. My tape was full when I called the other day and I didn't erase the messages. I didn't want to have to keep checking it."

"Smart." Just to be sure, I glanced at the machine and, sure enough, the light wasn't blinking.

"Okay, back to Rangeman, then?" he asked.

"Can we get something to eat, first?" I asked.

"You want to go out in public?" He looked at me with a smirk.

I thought about it. I was already past my limit. "No, not really," I said.

"How about if I get a Pino's pizza for you and bring it back?" he asked.

I smiled at him. "That would be _wonderful,_" I breathed.

He shook his head, his lips twitching. "Babe."

A short while later, I was lying face down on Ranger's couch when he walked in. The pizza smell hit me before the Bvlgari and when they mingled, I wasn't sure what I wanted to eat first.

He set the pizza on the table and came over to help me get up. Soon, I was settled in a chair at the table biting into my first slice when my cell phone chirped.

Ranger looked around. "Where is it?"

"Night stand."

He retrieved the phone for me and answered it before it went to voicemail. "Yo."

His face was unreadable. "Yeah."

He handed me the phone. "It's Kirk."

I got a flutter in my stomach. I wasn't sure if it was because Chris was calling or because I was worried about Ranger's reaction to the call. I took the phone from him, "Hey, Captain."

"Hey yourself, Princess."

I smiled and took a swig of my water.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Better. I can walk a bit now, though Batman isn't taking any chances on me opening up my wounds." I smiled at 'Batman' who was busily munching his salad.

He chuckled and hesitated.

"What's up?" I asked with a furrowed brow, feeling a little concerned.

"Well, I just found out that we might have a little problem."

"Oh?" My face showed my surprise and Ranger stopped eating to study me.

"Well, maybe a big problem."

"How big?" I asked.

"Well, bigger for me than you, but pretty big." He sounded tired.

"Just tell me."

"Well, I'm looking into it. I wanted to see how worried we needed to be before I notified you, but then I realized maybe I should warn you since everything I'm seeing is making me believe the problem is real," he rushed out, avoiding my question.

"Tell me what it is," I said through my teeth, growing more concerned. "Is it Louisa?"

Ranger's brow cocked at that. "No," Chris said.

"Captain, you'd better spill it before I lose my temper with you. You're really freaking me out here," I said, my heart beating a little faster.

"How much do you remember about the night we both got drugged?" he asked.

"I told you. I puked and passed out. That's all I remember," I said. Ranger set down his fork and watched me closely.

"Yeah. I remember you passing out and that's it," he said, hesitating again.

"What the fuck is wrong?"

Ranger's eyes grew hard, scrutinizing me.

"Well, apparently there's more to that story for us," he said. "A lot more." He blew out a breath.

"I don't understand," I said.

"Well, you know how Louisa was so upset with you for taking me away?"

I nodded and then remembered he couldn't see me. "Uh, yeah."

"Well, I found out the reason she was pissed at you," he said.

My heartbeat had to be upwards of two hundred beats per minute by this point. "Oh my God, Captain. What happened?"

"You're never going to believe this, but…"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

…

"You're never going to believe this, but … we're married."

My heart completely stopped beating. "Bullshit!" I started to completely _freak out_ and then I thought about it and started laughing. "You asshole, that's not funny."

There was silence.

"Hello?"

"It's not a joke. I'm serious." His voice was, in fact, gravely serious.

"No. That's not even possible." I started thinking. You have to apply for a marriage license, you have to provide documentation, and everything I'd had was under Cassandra Zanetti. I couldn't see one way that it was even remotely possible. "Under Cassandra Zanetti?"

"Under Stephanie Plum."

"But … that … it's not possible," I said, my hand starting to tremble. Ranger sat back and folded his arms across his chest.

"Well, King Pin Cruises like to do whatever they can to accommodate their passengers. So, when we told the Captain we wanted to get married that night, he performed the service. They ask for your social security number and they get all the legal paperwork they need to get the license faxed over to them. It's to save us the headache of these annoying issues of paperwork and such. They draw up the marriage license and you sign it. If all the paperwork checks out … three days later, boom, you're officially married. They file the paperwork. All we have to do is sign a paper giving them permission to gather the info and sign the marriage license." He sighed. "You gave them your real social security number and signed your real name."

"But the captain knows Ranger. Ranger told me so," I said, my voice feeling far away.

"Babe?" Ranger asked. I held up a hand giving him the "just a sec" signal.

"There are two captains on the ship, a night captain and a day captain. It's not the way it's normally done, but Royal Pin always wants a captain accessible to their passengers, so they have shifts." He slowly sucked his breath in through his teeth. "Apparently, the night captain isn't the one who knows Ranger. When I went up to him with a woman I said I wanted to marry, he didn't know who you were and didn't have a reason to think that we didn't want to get married for real. So they got us to sign all the paperwork and they handled it."

"That has to be illegal!"

Ranger was looking angrier by the minute. I knew he didn't like to be out of the loop, but I wanted to be caught up before I told him.

"It's a gray area. Anyway, if we don't tell them to shred the papers within three days, we get a perfectly legal marriage license filed with the State of Nevada, which is where their headquarters is located." I blinked and pressed a hand to my chest to stall the indigestion. "And that is why it is a gray area. Nevada doesn't require residency or a waiting period. Technically, the ship was in International waters, but they file all of their weddings at their corporate office. Vegas wedding, cruise style."

If I hadn't been sitting down, I would have had to sit down at that point. "Okay, so you're telling me we missed the three day window," I said.

"Right."

"Wow."

"That's not all," he said, sounding really miserable.

"The paps?" I asked.

"Yep. Whozzup dot com got a hold of it. They're one of the top celebrity gossip sites. It's up on the website right now. It's going to be _all_ over in a matter of hours." He sighed. "I had no idea."

"But … but, can't we just say that we were out of our minds?" I asked. My mind was racing. How could I be married?

"Well, that's technically what an annulment is, but we have to file it." His voice was soft.

"Do we have to go there?" I asked.

"No, we can have our lawyers do it…"

"I don't have a lawyer," I said quietly.

I looked at Ranger. He was completely impassive at this point.

"Well, I can handle it, but unfortunately that can turn out badly for you." He sounded disappointed.

"So, what's the problem, Captain?" I started poking at my uneaten, now cold pizza.

"This is so big," he finally said. "Not only that, but my financial advisor and my lawyer … and my agent _and _my family are having shit fits over this. And you're not coming out looking too great to anyone here. Unfortunately, part of your charm is in knowing you in person. On paper you're sort of a mess. My agent has pulled all the newspaper articles about you. The press will do that, too. This is going to be a nightmare for you. Every little thing you've done, your whole entire history, will be broadcast all over the world."

"I'm not just a mess on paper, I'm a mess altogether." I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "Shit."

"I'm coming to Trenton. I want to see you, to be there with you through this mess," he said with finality.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" I asked, trying to tamp down the rush of excitement I felt.

"It's the only thing that makes sense to me right now. I've never been married before. This is going to be a black spot on both of us and maybe I just need an ally right now. Everyone here is freaking out and I just really want a friend who will stick by me, too. I know you will. Also, if I'm not by your side, people will take it as me confirming their suspicions that you were sneaky and underhanded about it." He sounded tired again. "My agent's been up my ass about it all day. He thinks I should stay away. I guess he doesn't understand what it means for Captain Kirk and Princess Bounty Hunter to be best friends."

"What does it mean?" I asked with a huge, silly grin on my face.

"That we're in this together, Princess, you and me," he said with amusement in his tone.

I smiled at that in spite of myself. "Sounds good to me."

"Can you make me a promise?" he asked.

"I don't know if I can, but I'll try." I smiled.

"Can you please, please talk to Batman and convince him not to kill me when I get there?" He was smiling, I could hear it. "I would like to keep my acting career."

"Don't worry. Somehow I think it won't be a problem." I bit my lip, thinking.

"Uh oh, Princess. What happened?" I could hear him leaning back in a noisy seat, maybe leather.

"I'll talk to you about it when you get here. When are you coming in?" I looked at Ranger and motioned for a pen and paper by writing in the air with a fake pen.

He got up and grabbed some paper and a pen from a drawer and handed them to me. I mouthed "thank you" to him. He crossed his arms and nodded.

"My plane lands in Newark tomorrow night," he said. I jotted down his flight information and arrival time.

"Okay, got it. I'll see you then, Captain."

We disconnected and I dropped my head into my hands. "I have a huge problem."

"Do you want me to shoot him?" he asked.

"No, how about me? I'm done." I pushed away from the table and started to stand.

He walked around and scooped me up, then settled me down onto the couch carefully. He sat down next to me and put his arm on the back of the couch behind my head, his fingers toying with my curls. "Talk to me, babe."

"Did you know that King Pin Cruises is headquartered in Nevada?" I asked.

He nodded, the fingers in my curls slowing down.

"Did you know that they provide special services to their _very special_ passengers to handle any nitty gritty details for them so they don't have to waste their precious time?" I asked, my voice hitching up in volume and octave.

The fingers squeezed the back of my neck now. "What happened?"

"Well, apparently, sometime between the time that I passed out and the time that I woke up in that closet, I married Chris Pine," I said, my voice sounding more even keeled than I felt.

"Say that one more time. I think I heard you wrong," he said quietly.

"I'm married … to Chris Pine … the actor." I looked at him. He was completely closed off. I couldn't get a handle on his mood.

"You, not Zanetti?"

"Yeah, apparently I gave them my real social security number and signed my real name." I thunked my forehead with the heel of my hand. "I don't do undercover so well when I drink."

A minute later, he smirked. "This would only happen to you."

"Hey, that's not fair. It happens to a lot of people in Vegas," I said.

"Okay, but I'm not surprised." He half shrugged. "So, you get an annulment and it's over."

"Easy for you to say. I'm the hussy who tricked good boy Chris into marriage on a ship. His people are really angry. They want him to stay away. He feels that the only way to help my reputation is to come here and stand by me through it all." I buried my face into my hands and did some heavy breathing.

"Noble of him," Ranger said. I looked up, but he still had the impassive face plastered on.

I sighed and tilted my head back against the couch. "Okay, just for my entertainment, can I have thirty minutes where I can ask you anything I want and you answer me with straight answers? With the truth?" I turned my head to look at him.

"I can't guarantee that I can do that."

"What if we had some rules? Like, what if I can't ask you anything about work or about anything that you don't want me to know that could get me into trouble?" My voice had the beginnings of a tremolo to it that only comes right before _enough _happens.

"I still can't guarantee, but I'll try," he answered.

Ranger trying was close enough. "Okay, I'll start now." He looked at his watch. I sighed.

"What do you want from me?" I asked.

"Want?"

"From me, as a person in your life, what are you looking for from me?" I looked at him, watching his eyes and his face for any change that would give me a clue.

He was silent for a few moments. "That's not a one question answer. You're going to have to try harder."

I sighed. "Okay. Do you love me?"

"Yes."

"Are you _in love_ with me?" I asked.

He stared at me. "I want to point out that I'm not getting to ask any questions of you here, babe."

"True, but from what I understand I already made my feelings for you perfectly clear when I was high and had diarrhea of the mouth." I was getting annoyed. If he stalled out my full thirty minutes there would be hell to pay.

"So, what you said to me is exactly how you feel about me?" he asked.

"Well, I don't really know all that I said, but from what I was told I said, yes. It's all true," I admitted.

"Because you told me that I should kiss Chris."

"Uh … yeah." My cheeks turned read. "Sorry about that."

"You also told me you wanted a threesome with me and him." His lips were twitching.

I blinked. "I did?" He nodded. "Well, that makes no sense. I've never even had a threesome…"

He leaned close, "Secret wish?"

"You're changing the subject. Are you in love with me or not?" I asked, my face fire engine red and getting hot.

He sighed. "Okay, yes, I'm in love with you."

"What exactly does it mean for you to be in love with me?"

"I'm not sure I follow you, babe." His brow creased slightly in confusion.

"Are you going to break my heart?" I asked.

He stared at me. "Babe, this conversation could go nowhere fast. I think that this is over."

I opened my mouth. "But you said that I could have thirty minutes."

"I said no guarantees and you said you only wanted three questions. How about if I ask you some questions?" he asked, leaning over me, his expression intense.

I swallowed. "Okay."

"Tell me about the pictures in the magazines."

"That's not a question," I said. His expression told me he wasn't asking.

I stared at him, my heart racing in my chest. I didn't know what he would say when he knew the truth. "Well, the pictures of him kissing me with my, uh, shirt open … are real. We sort of got … caught up in the moment and we thought we were protected in the bluff. The one with me on his chest is staged."

"To make me jealous."

I nodded.

"That's a bit juvenile, babe." I nodded my head and dropped it into my hand.

"But the real pictures…"

"We were talking, I told him about who I was. He just sort of realized that he could get very strong feelings for me if he let himself. He kissed me and it was … nice." I glanced at him nervously. He nodded slightly. "Then things got a little intense … then you called me."

He was silent. I waited and, still, he said nothing. I looked at him with a "well?" hand gesture. "You didn't answer right away," he observed.

I nodded. "Because, I knew that you would know what was going on if I answered right away."

"And you didn't want me to know."

My heart started to thud. "I didn't want you to get the wrong idea."

"What would the wrong idea be?"

I lowered my head and started shaking it back and forth. "I don't know. At that moment, you wouldn't have been wrong if you'd assumed that things were getting … intense."

"I don't think you have to worry about what I feel for you. I think that you need to worry about what you feel for me." He stood up and walked to the door. "I have some things I need to follow up on." He opened the door. "I'll be back later."

I sighed. I knew that I wanted him, but not knowing if he would accept me gave me pause. What was I missing out on? If I stayed with him and he ended up turning me away, which was highly likely, what would pass me by? What do you do about a man who told you he loved you and then said it wasn't the kind of love that came with a ring? Or who told you he was in love with you, but you had a sinking suspicion that he'd never actually _do _anything about it?

My mind was so full of questions and crazy that it was reeling. I was married. _Married!_ To a Hollywood actor. And I wasn't that upset about it, but mostly because I didn't have anything to do with it … not technically. And because I knew it would be over soon. I _wasn't_ excited about the aftermath when this hit the newsstands.

"I am in love with two men," I said out loud and then checked myself. "One man, one man." _Why did I say two?_ I felt the panic start building in the pit of my stomach. Was I also in love with Captain Kirk?

"Ugh!" I yelled.

I woke up in Ranger's bed the next morning. I had fallen asleep on the couch and he'd carried me to his room, undressed me, and tucked me in. I was scum. I was a shameless hussy. I leave Morelli's bed for his and then I leave his bed for the bed of a man I'd only known a week. Okay, so I hadn't technically been in his bed, but we'd almost gotten there once. Not to mention that I'd married the guy on the fly one night. True, it hadn't been in my power, but still … what a damn slut.

I rolled out of bed and padded out to the kitchen. There was a tray of bagels, lox, soft cream cheese and fruit on the island. Ranger was nowhere to be seen. I grabbed a plate and loaded some food on it and sat at the table. The news of the previous day came flooding into my mind and I groaned out loud and buried my face in my hands.

I felt a hand close around the back of my neck and I jumped, causing the skin around some of my sutures to pull. "Youch!" I looked at Ranger with a light scowl. "Couldn't you just make a little noise?"

"You look like you're carrying the world, babe," he said as he walked over to grab some breakfast for himself. "What are your plans for today?"

"Hiding," I said.

He smirked.

"I'm serious! The news of my marriage is probably already all over the United States, maybe the world, definitely all over the Burg. My mother's going to put a hit out on me for this. I'm nothing but a disappointment to her and now the only thing left to do is to shoot me." I pushed my plate away.

Ranger eyed my plate. "You know, I'm starting to get concerned for you." I raised an eyebrow. "This is the second meal in a row I've seen you take two bites of and then turn down. You never turn down food, babe. Do you want me to get you a donut?"

I was too frustrated to eat, but he was right. I had no appetite. "It's the drugs," I said. "They messed up my coping mechanisms."

Ranger sent me a look that told me he didn't think it was funny.

I threw my hands up. "I'm not joking! Look at me, food holds no appeal for me anymore. The donut you suggested rolled off my back without so much as a ripple."

"Maybe we should have you in a follow up program for what happened," he said looking me over.

I shrugged and sulked.

"Do you think about it?" he asked.

My eyes snapped to his. "Think about what?"

"The drugs, the feeling…"

"Well, I liked the fact that nothing fazed me and there was no fear," I admitted.

"Babe."

"_But _… it wasn't nice when I had to detox. It wasn't nice that I would have to keep taking them to feel that way, so no, I don't think about it with any amount of seriousness," I explained.

He nodded. "Good. I don't want to have to worry about you anymore than I already do."

Gee, sometimes he could be so touching.

"I've arranged for a car to take you wherever you want to go. This includes the time that Kirk is visiting," he said.

I stared at him with a mixture of shock and outrage.

"Babe."

"What do you mean?"

"I hired a town car and a driver. You can't drive around, yet, and I don't really have any interested in taking you two lovebirds all over Trenton. If I have to be in the same room with the two of you together, I'm likely to put a bullet through his temple." He cleared the table. "So, I did the next logical thing and hired someone else to do it."

I stared at him with my mouth open in amazement. "You didn't have to do that."

He locked eyes with me. "Yes, I did."

I narrowed my eyes. "Is this person going to be acting as your spy?"

"Babe, if I wanted to spy on you, I'd send one of my guys to do it. As it is, I couldn't get any of them to agree not to kill Kirk, so I decided it was safer to hire an independent contractor." More staring at him on my part. "I mean it about you needing to make up your mind. Spend time with him, figure it out. If you decide you want him, stay with him." He turned to look at me. "If you decide you want me, we'll talk."

My breathing sped up and I felt light-headed. This felt like a goodbye. I wasn't ready for a goodbye with Ranger. He came around the island and tipped my face up and stroked the sides of my neck with his fingertips. I blinked and two tears ran down my cheeks. "I'm not ready to say goodbye to you," I whispered.

He grabbed the front of my shirt with both of his hands and pulled me toward him, his mouth claiming mine possessively. He traced my lips with the tip of his tongue and then crushed his mouth onto mine in a powerful kiss. Every nerve ending in my body shorted out and I was a mass of quivering electricity with no real purpose. I didn't think I even had the strength to lift my arms anymore.

He slid his hands under my thighs and lifted me up so I was straddling his waist and then he sat on a dining chair with me on his lap. I felt vulnerable and naughty all at once. Thirty seconds later, my shirt and bra were on the floor and his mouth was memorizing the roadmap of my chest, paying particular attention to my nipples.

I grabbed at his shirt and untucked it from his cargos and then it was lying on the floor in the pile. I leaned forward, gently biting and kissing his chest and his neck, shoulders, and nipples. Somehow we lost our remaining clothing and I was seated on his lap, naked and trembling.

He had his hands tangled in my hair and he was driving me crazy by teasing and tantalizing my neck with tiny kisses and licks. I reached down between us and took a hold of him, caressing up and down, feeling the heat and hardness of him.

He brought his hands down and grabbed my hips, sliding me forward until he was inside me. Using the rungs on the chair for leverage, I held onto his shoulders and in a little while we had both spent our pent up sexual energy.

I was completely pressed up against him, a weak and shaking mess, my toes dragging on the floor, when he kissed my ear and whispered, "If I were to say goodbye to you, it would be like this and you would know it was goodbye. We would both know it."

Something deep inside me shook loose at that and I felt like, in some ways, maybe that's what this was. I didn't have long to dwell on it because the door to Ranger's apartment opened and Tank came ambling in with a stack of folders. Ranger's arms tightened around me to cover as much as possible and Tank looked up, saw us, blanched, and dropped the files. He turned around and headed for the door so quickly that his foot caught a file and slipped right out from under him.

Quick as a flash, both feet were in the air and he came crashing down onto his back with a hard "oof" and a crack. Then he lay on the floor, unmoving. "Shit," Ranger said. "I forgot that I gave him my fob and told him to bring those up to me. I wasn't expecting this. In fact, I had decided _not_ to do this. My life used to be a lot more orderly before you came around." His mouth was grim.

I couldn't get my mouth closed. I was in three states of shock at what had happened. Ranger stood with a hand under my bare ass holding me to him and walked over to the intercom.

"Yes, sir?" I heard Ramon's voice.

"Tank had an accident. I need a couple of guys up here to get him and check him out."

"Yes, sir."

Ranger walked over to the table, still holding me, scooped to pick up our clothing, and then carried me to the bedroom. "I don't need any more of my guys seeing evidence of what's private between us."

I finally recovered enough to nod. A tear slipped down my cheek. "Everything I do is a mess."

He smiled and kissed the tear. "It's one of the reasons I love you so much." There it was, his dubious love again.

He took me to the shower and helped to clean me up without getting my back wet. He left me to get dressed while he went out to the kitchen to check on Tank and the guys. A few minutes later, I padded out to the kitchen barefoot and Ranger, Woody, and Ram had Tank sitting up in a seat with an icepack on the back of his head.

"I don't know how that happened," Tank said looking at the mess of papers on the floor. "There must have been some water on the floor, but I don't remember falling down."

Ranger and I locked eyes. He was slightly amused. I was appalled. "I think maybe he needs to be seen by a doctor!" I said with a note of alarm.

"Why, what happened when he fell?" Woody asked.

"She's right," Ranger said with a smile. "If he doesn't remember falling, we need to get him checked out."

They nodded and ushered Tank to the door. "I'll follow you to the hospital," Ranger told them.

He came over to me and rested his hands at the base of my breasts. "I have to go get his forms handled." He pulled out a business card. "When you want the car, just call this number and they'll come. This guy is good. I know him, but we aren't best buddies if you know what I mean." I got that message loud and clear. "He's guaranteed to get to you within twenty minutes whenever you call him. Just plan ahead."

He leaned down to kiss me a deep, searing kiss. "Something to remember me by. Call me if you need anything at all." And then he was gone. Yes, it really felt like a goodbye.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

…

I figured Ranger wasn't going to come back until I had cleared out, so I packed up all of my things and grabbed Rex's cage after calling for the car. Hal assured me that it would be allowed into the parking garage, so I went down and waited for his arrival.

I had only been waiting about five minutes when a black town car swung into the garage. The driver's door opened and out stepped a man who made Tank look like a Humvee. He was about six feet, eight inches and a solid wall of muscle. It looked like his muscles had given birth to muscles.

He smiled politely at me and took my things, loading them into the trunk. He put Rex's cage in the driver's side passenger seat and opened the other door for me. _Yikes_. Ranger knew a lot of scary people.

He looked at me in the rearview mirror. "Where to?"

I gave him the address of my apartment building and we set off. I felt like I was driving away from my soul. It was really stupid for me to be driving away from Ranger if I knew I loved him so much, but I didn't trust him with my heart. He'd never really given me a reason to trust _his_ feelings. Okay, maybe I knew how he felt, but I had a problem with his _intentions_. It also irked me that he wanted me to explore my feelings and to choose him over all other men when his messages to me have all been that he doesn't intend to have a relationship with anyone.

On the way to my apartment, I called my mother and informed her that I would be coming to dinner with my husband and would answer any questions she had then. She politely thanked me and hung up. I thought it went well. _Right_. We arrived at my apartment building without a hitch. And the driver came around to open the door and help me out. "What should I call you?" I asked him.

"My name is Rod."

"You look like Conan the Barbarian on steroids," I said in wonder.

This earned me a grin. "You can call me Conan if you want."

He opened the trunk and grabbed my bag and then opened the back door to grab Rex from the car. We got inside my building and I felt really lucky that no one was around to ask me about my marriage. I was half afraid for Conan to get on the elevator. With his massive size and bulk, I was afraid it wouldn't make it up to my floor.

Once we hit my floor, I led him to my door and opened it. I felt safe with Conan because I could see that he was carrying eat least two guns. Probably Ranger notified him that he'd need a whole arsenal to keep us safe. Either way, I was glad Chris would have a big security guard to keep away the adoring fans and crazy paparazzi should they come running. _Should_. Wishful thinking.

Conan dropped my bags on the floor and I told him to have a seat and watch television if he wanted while I showered and changed into some clean clothes. I put on a blue cable knit sweater and dark blue jeans, threw on a pair of brown leather boots, and went out to the living room. Conan was sitting on my small couch looking completely out of place. His knees practically hit his chin.

I smiled and he nodded. "I'll just be a little while." I stepped into the bathroom dried my hair, then put it up in a clip, wincing as the skin on my upper back pulled, and arranged some of my curls with some frizz control serum. I lined my eyes and swiped on a coat of mascara and then swiped on some lipstick in a mulberry tone. I came out of the bathroom and grabbed a windbreaker from my closet.

Conan stood when I came into the room. I smiled and he smiled back. A little. "Okay, I'm ready."

I had Conan take me to the bonds office. He waited outside leaning on the hood of the car while I went in to see the girls. I wasn't sure I was prepared for the onslaught of their questions, but I wanted to get it over with. I figured this would be my easiest stop of the day.

I walked into the office and found Lula seated on the brown couch with her face buried behind a copy of _Entertainment Weekly_. The caption on the magazine nearly took my strength away. It read: KIRK EMBARKS ON MARRIAGE FRONTIER WITH BOUNTY HUNTER. There was a picture on the cover of Chris and I dancing together on the King Louis V the night we got married.

I looked over at Connie and she had her head behind a copy of _The Enquirer_. That caption read: KIRK MARRIES ESCORT UNDER COVER. That magazine showed a picture of us on the fake beach when I was crying. My face is in his chest, his arms are tight around me, his lips in my hair. I got a twinge of emotion in my heart at that picture. We'd had a great time that night … up until we'd both been drugged.

"Okay, very funny, you two," I said.

"Did you hear something, Connie?" Lula asked. "'Cause I didn't hear nothin'."

"No, I didn't hear anything," Connie said.

Neither of them lowered their magazines. The door opened and closed with a ding behind me and I turned to find Joyce Barnhardt. _Oh shit_. Not what I needed right now.

"So," she said with an evil grin. "Turns out you're not as dumb as I thought you were," she said.

"What do you want, Joyce?" I asked.

"Oh, I was just stopping in to see if you would show your face around here again now that you have millions," she said in a nasty voice. I think she was definitely jealous.

_So bad, SO BAD!_ I wanted to rub it in her face, but knowing Joyce she would blab anything I said to her to the papers and I had to think of Chris. I had to keep my cool for Chris. And Ranger.

I shrugged. "Oh well. There's no one here who wants to know what happened, so I'll see you guys later."

I was just about to the door when Lula bolted off the couch. "Okay I give. You gotta know that I'm dyin' to hear what happened with that actor."

Connie dropped her magazine in annoyance. "She was calling our bluff. You were supposed to outbluff her."

"How was I to know that she wouldn't really leave? She's got that giant man out there guarding her car."

"Sure, Stephanie. Tell us how you tricked him into marrying you," Joyce said with a grin. "I could get a whole new appreciation for you now."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not saying anything in front of you, Joyce."

"Bitch!" Joyce said.

Lula buzzed her with a stun gun and she dropped to the floor in a heap. "Talk," Lula said.

"Okay, I don't have a long time. I have to see Mary Lou before I go to the airport to pick up Chris," I said sitting down.

"He's coming here? I thought you would go to Hollywood!" Lula said.

"He's coming here so we can get an annulment," I said.

"Annulment? You telling me that you married him and now you're gonna end it just like that?" Her eyes were wide. "You got a rich man to marry you and you're going to just sign it all away?"

"It wasn't like that. Chris and I were both drugged by this crazy stalker woman. We got married sometime after that. When we woke up the next morning, neither of us knew anything. The only reason we know now is because of the paparazzi," I explained. "Anyway, everyone thinks I'm this evil gold digger now and Chris is coming here to stand by my side so we can clear up this mess. It's not really a real marriage. We don't even know each other." I stood up. "I just came by to tell you that I didn't intentionally lie to you."

"You going to bring him here?" Connie asked.

"I'll try."

"Damn Skippy," Lula said.

I went out and gave Conan turn by turn directions to Mary Lou's house. I approached her front door with mixed feelings. I hoped she wasn't too angry that I never called her back and that I didn't tell her what was going on.

She answered the door and pulled me in. "What the hell were you thinking?" she asked. "Do you know how worried we all were? Then we saw the tabloids and all I could think about was that I _had _to find out what happened. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Sorry I couldn't call. It was a last-minute thing and I wasn't allowed to tell anyone I was leaving." I shoved my hands into my pockets.

"Shit, Steph. How long have you known this guy?" she asked looking shocked.

"No! I left on a mission with Ranger … it was on that cruise ship. Chris and I met on the ship and became friends. The marriage thing happened when we were both drugged," I sighed.

"Marriage thing?"

"You mean, you don't know?"

She stared at me for a minute, not saying anything. Then realization hit her. "Oh my God! You didn't marry him, did you?"

"Yes, we're married, but we're getting an annulment," I said.

"Shit!"

"Come to lunch with me, I'll fill you in." I was tired, and this was only the beginning.

"Okay, the kids are with my mom today. Let me grab my jacket."

When we walked into Pino's, conversation immediately stopped and every eye in the place was on me. I immediately regretted choosing Pino's for lunch, but I wanted pizza and Pino's was the only choice for pizza.

"Guess I'm big news," I said quietly to Mary Lou.

"Yeah, no kidding," she said.

We walked to a table and ordered a large pepperoni and green pepper with extra cheese and two beers. I filled her in on the assignment, the abduction, drugs, and the stitches. I explained about the tabloid pictures and about learning last night that I was married.

"You mean, you have stitches all over the back of your body?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"I have about a hundred fifty overall in several different cuts." I was quiet.

"Wow, that had to be awful."

"To be honest, I didn't feel it. Not until the ordeal was over and the drugs wore off." I gave a 'c'est la vie' shrug and sighed.

"Seeing you high … that's something I never thought I'd see." She gave a half laugh. "Did you say anything embarrassing?

I groaned and told her about the kissing and threesome comments.

She was laughing. "You told Ranger to kiss Chris?" More laughter. "Then you told them you wanted a threesome with both of them?"

"Sounds like quite the time," a masculine voice said from behind. Mary Lou immediately stopped laughing and her eyes got wide.

"Uh, I have to run to the little girl's room." She shot out of the booth and left me to face Morelli's wrath all on my own.

He rounded the booth and took Mary Lou's seat, grabbing a green pepper off the tray and dropping it into his mouth. His gaze was dark, his mouth in a thin line, and his face was expressionless. His cop face. I gulped. We'd broken up, but it wasn't necessarily with the idea that we would never get together again. Well, at least on his part. I was sure he thought I'd be back in his bed in a couple of weeks.

"Don't start," I said defensively.

He shook his head. "You break things off with me, run off on a cruise in secret with Mañoso, meet an actor, get tons of pictures of you and the actor plastered on magazines all over the country, and then marry the actor … and you're telling me not to start." The muscle in his jaw worked furiously. "Hell, I'm not going to start. I don't even know where to begin."

My eyes rolled involuntarily. "Okay, first of all, you're making a lot of assumptions here."

"Really?" he asked darkly. "Why don't you go over my assumptions for me?"

Sensing the danger in his tone, I chose my next words carefully. "I'm sorry if my departure seemed abrupt. It was a last-minute mission. I'd gotten home around two after leaving your place, Ranger showed up around four telling me he needed me to leave right away with him."

"You were with Ranger when you hooked up with the actor," he said, looking slightly amused. "I'll bet that went over well."

I decided to ignore that comment. "Anyway, a lot happened. There was a whole drug thing and a kidnapping and another drug thing … it was a train wreck. Chris and I became friends. The marriage happened when we were both drugged." I didn't think it would be wise to lie to Morelli and, besides, I liked Morelli as a friend whether we were romantic or not. I didn't want to hurt him or do something that would break our chances of a friendship. I didn't have to tell him the whole story, but at least he would know that it wasn't planned.

He stared at me. "Why am I even surprised? This is so typical of you." He ran his hands through his hair. He looked tired and pissed off.

"Look, I'm sorry. I was really upset when I left, but I didn't run off like that on purpose. I'm sorry that you felt you had to start an investigation. We were dealing with someone dangerous and we didn't want to make it known that I was out of town." I fiddled with my napkin. "Can we just let this go and try to find a way to repair our friendship?"

He stared at me. "Sure. Are you getting your marriage annulled?"

"Chris will be here tonight. We're going to work all of that out," I said.

"He's coming here?"

"Yeah. He wants to see where I live, meet my friends and my parents … that sort of thing," I said on a shrug.

"Sounds like getting more involved than breaking off," he said.

"We're friends," I said with a smile. "Real friends."

"God, you're not in love with the guy are you?" He looked incredulous and a little annoyed.

_I have no idea._ "No. I love him, but not like that," I explained.

"Unbelievable." He sat, shaking his head, staring at Mary Lou's fork. "So, when is he leaving?"

"I don't know. When things are settled," I said.

He stood up and loomed over me, watching my eyes. Then his glance flicked to the neckline in the back of my sweater and his eyes hardened again. "What happened to your back?"

I grinned and shrugged. "You know me, same 'ol, same 'ol."

"Looks like a war zone. How far down do they go?" Before I could stop him, he grabbed my sweater and pulled it back, looking down. "Jesus!" he swore. "What the hell happened to you?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm fine now," I said, taking a swig of my beer.

He shook his head again. "Do I get to meet this guy?"

"Can you behave yourself?"

He hooked a thumb in his belt loop and gave me an annoyed glance. "Yeah, I can behave myself."

"Okay, we'll work it out."

He nodded and walked away, leaving me to ponder what was becoming of my life.

…

I waited nervously in the backseat of the town car. I couldn't believe I was at the airport waiting to pick up _my husband_ from his flight. I thought about how Ranger was being awfully calm about this. I wouldn't be as calm if our positions were reversed.

My thoughts were interrupted when Conan opened the door and my Captain slid into the seat beside me. _My Captain?_ Oh my God, I was getting all mushy. That's it. Those drugs really did screw me up.

I beamed a smile at him, really happy to see him. He smiled back and pulled me into his arms for a tremendous hello kiss. He squeezed me carefully. "Hello, Princess."

"Hi Captain." My chest was fluttering. I stared into his eyes. I had forgotten how blue and smoky they were.

The car started moving and we sat there like love struck teenagers, smiling into each other's eyes. "I thought I would never get here," he said, his eyes crinkling in laughter.

I shook my head slowly in disbelief. "I can't believe how happy I am to see you."

"I know. It's so great to see you." We hugged again. He stared into my eyes and stroked his thumb across my jaw. "Watching you leave was one of the hardest things I've ever done."

I nodded. "Things were so intense. It would have been better if we'd had time to settle down. Life is always fast with Batman."

He sobered at my words. "How is Batman?"

I thought carefully. "Batman is waiting for me to make up my mind."

"I thought you were waiting for Batman."

"Batman seems to think that I can't ask him how he feels about me until I decide how I feel about you." I leaned my head back on the seat in exasperation.

He studied me for a minute. "I thought we already established how we felt about each other."

"Yes, but..." I said softly, trailing off.

He hooked his hand around the base of my neck and pulled me toward him. "Does being married to me change the way you feel about me?" he asked. His voice floated over my nerves, setting them on edge.

"It's just that I feel really strongly about marriage. I was married once and it ended badly. I always said that I wouldn't do it again lightly … and then I did." I blew at my bangs. "I'm just pissed off that another really important thing in my life is going to be failure."

"Why does it have to be failure?" His eyes were drawing me in. Batman had the force field. Captain Kirk had the tractor beam.

My brow wrinkled in confusion. "Are you saying that you d-don't want to annul our marriage?"

He kissed my cheek. "I'm saying that maybe I would like to spend some time with you so we can figure out what we really want. I feel strongly about marriage, as well. It's why I'm over thirty and this is my first marriage."

He pulled me forward and took my mouth in a deep kiss, the fingers at the base of my neck beginning to massage my muscles gently and the fingers on the opposite hand stroking down my jaw and my neck. I sighed into his mouth and he smiled, touching his tongue to mine and driving up the heat in the kiss.

Conan interrupted us by clearing his throat. "Where would you like to go?"

We pulled apart sheepishly. I looked at Chris. "Where are you staying?"

He grinned. "Well, I thought maybe I should stay … with you."

"Ah…" I stammered, thinking of my crappy apartment in my crappy building. "You may want to rethink that."

"Why?"

"Because, my place is very … humble, and I only have one bed, and–"

"We're married. Don't we only need one bed?" He smiled mischievously.

My whole body went weak at his suggestion. "Um, I guess." _Slut_, I thought.

"Okay, then let's go there." His eyes grew serious. "I want to see how you live, see where you're from, meet your friends and family, and just know more about you. I think that if we decide to annul our marriage, it should be an informed decision."

I laughed and smacked his chest. "You mean like getting married was?"

He grinned. "Something like that."

I took Chris back to my apartment. We were due at my mother's at six for dinner, but we had some free time. I figured we could get settled and then we could drop in at the bonds office before we had to head to over for dinner.

The elevator doors opened and I led him to my door. He took my keys and unlocked the door for me and, suddenly concerned, I stopped him from just waltzing in. "Just let me do a quick check before we run in there, okay?" Even if I wasn't on any skips, I was feeling on edge about him walking into my apartment unaware. The memory of the various criminals who'd waited in my apartment to kill or kidnap me loomed in the back of my mind.

I pulled my gun out of my black bag and opened the door, flipping on lights and checking in obvious hiding places. I came back to the door to find Chris standing there with a stunned expression on his face. "You can come in now." I walked to my kitchen and put my gun in the cookie jar.

"Do you do that often or only when I'm here?" He asked, dropping his suitcase in my living room.

I gave him an apologetic look. "Well, it depends on what I've got going on with my job. Today was just because of your visit. I don't have any skips right now. I've had people in my apartment waiting for me before. I didn't really like the thought that you would go in before me unsuspecting." The shock deepened a bit. "I chase down criminals. Sometimes they don't like it and they leave me weird presents or people break in and wait for me to get home."

He nodded. "Good to know. So, you always keep your gun in your cookie jar?"

"Yeah … Rockford did it."

He nodded his head with his hands in his pockets and grinned. "Rockford?"

I smiled. "Yeah."

He looked down at the floor and then back up at me. "Okay, I think this place is fine, charming even, but you kind of got me worried with the gun. Are we going to be safe here?"

I grinned at him. "Afraid of danger?"

"Not the right kind." Damn those eyes.

I shrugged. "Should be. I hadn't had any skips for a week or so since before I left and the ones I had were pretty tame. I don't have any recent psychos that I've put away … except for Louisa."

He shuddered. "I'd rather not talk about Louisa. That was a big mess, too."

"I'll bet."

He took a step closer. "I used to live in an apartment that looked a lot like this."

"Really?" Another step.

He nodded. "Yes, so this place is making me feel pretty homey." He was another step closer now.

The look in his eyes. It was the sultry look, I decided, that drew me in before. His eyes spoke as if they had ideas of their own … and they probably did.

I licked my lips. "So, we should probably get showers and get ready. I was thinking of taking you over to the bail bonds office so you could meet everyone if you … wanted … to…" I trailed off. He was standing right in front of me. His hands were still in his pockets, but his eyes were locked onto mine, holding me captive.

He smiled at me. "Sounds good." But his eyes were still holding mine. They wouldn't let go. "You ever hear how absence makes the heart grow fonder?" he asked, slipping his hand out of his pocket and reaching up to trace a finger along my collarbone.

I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry. "Yeah."

"I have a confession to make," he said tracing the other collarbone.

Warm swirls of heat stemmed out from my collarbones and spread throughout my whole body, tightening everything, and making it hard to breathe. "What's that?" I asked on a whisper.

"I think I'm really happy that we're married." He leaned down to kiss a collarbone, a feather light kiss that frenzied my brainwaves.

"You are?" my voice squeaked.

He nodded and leaned down to kiss the other collarbone. My nipples contracted to hard little beads and started communicating with my pelvic muscles in Morse code. Another few kisses like this and I was sure I would beep boop beep myself into an orgasm.

He kissed up my neck, soft little kisses that sent tremors of pleasure through my veins and started up the Morse code again. I wrapped my arms around his neck to keep from collapsing. He gripped my hips and pulled me against him. He nibbled at my ear and whispered, "How is your back?"

"Mmm, not tip top shape, yet," I said.

He placed a kiss behind my ear. "Should I stop?"

"No!" I said. _Slut!_ I decided the voice was happy I was a slut.

He grinned and kissed me. "Let's see what we can work out."

He pulled the clip out of my hair and lifted the sweater over my head, leaning down to kiss each breast. Soon my bra was gone and his shirt. Then all of our clothes. He had an incredible body and it was obvious he was diligent with the weights. His sultry eyes travelled over my body lighting a fire along their trail. "Come here, Princess."

Later, we were in my bed tangled up in sheets, chest to chest, with me sprawled across him. My hair was a mass of wild curls spread over his chest. He began to stir and I slid over so that I was laying half on him and half on the bed. His eyes caught a glimpse of the gouges on my back.

"God, I have nightmares about that day," he said, lightly tracing his finger around one of my wounds.

"Me, too."

"That was the first time I've ever seen anything like that." He kissed the top of my head. "In movies, you just don't notice all the bad stuff as being bad because you know it's not real. I almost lost it when I realized I couldn't help you get off the bed."

"Yeah, but it's over now. I'm healing and Louisa is hopefully getting the help she needs, never to see daylight again," I said cuddling close. My eyes focused on the clock on the night stand. Five forty five. "Mmm, we'll have to start thinking about dinner." And then realization hit me.

I shot out of bed in a panic. "Oh shit! Shit, shit, shit!"

He sat up with a worried expression. "What's wrong?"

"We're supposed to be at my mother's in fifteen minutes! I need a shower. My mother can smell sex from a hundred feet away!" I ran to the phone, dialed Conan and told him we'd need to be picked up in ten minutes.

I ran to the bathroom and sponge bathed as well as I could. Chris took a two minute shower and we threw our clothes on. I threw my hair back up into my clip and we bolted out the door. Conan opened the car door for us when we got to the car.

"How fast are you willing to drive, Conan?"

"How fast do you need?"

"We have to be to my parents' house in five minutes and it normally takes me ten," I said.

"No problem. Just give me some directions."

On the way over, Chris looked at me with a grin.

"What?"

"You were going to take me to the bonds office." He was rubbing my thigh and my eyes glazed over.

"Hmm, that's right. You used up all of our free time." My voice was a small whisper. He grinned and kissed me breathless.

We got to my parents' house in record time and I think my heart was still sitting in the middle of the last intersection beating where it had jumped out when we'd nearly been flattened by a big truck. Conan helped us out of the car and we were met by a flurry of flashes and a sea of faces shouting questions at us. Conan, the Hero, stepped in front and parted the Flashbulb Sea for us to reach the front door of my parents' house.

We walked in and I groaned inwardly. Not only were we at dinner with my parents and Grandma Mazur, but my sister, Valerie, and her husband, Albert, and their three girls were seated. Conan maintained crowd control outside.

"Wow, ain't that a pip. Real paparazzi and everything!" Grandma Mazur said, looking out the window.

My mother was standing by the door. "Mother! Go sit down. The food is ready and our guest has arrived!" She turned to Chris. "Well, it's nice to meet you, uh…"

Chris charmingly leaned forward and took my mother's hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "Please, call me Chris."

Left speechless, my mother blushed and directed us to the table. I stared at her like I'd never seen her before. Not only did I _not_ get a lecture, but she was blushing and she was silent. I looked at Chris wondering what sort of magic powers he had.

We took our seats and the meal began, so did the conversation.

"So, did you get my granddaughter pregnant, is that why you're married?" Grandma Mazur asked. She grabbed his upper arm and smiled, "Well, I wouldn't mind getting pregnant by someone like you."

To his credit, Chris recovered well, but I'd thought he'd fall off his chair or get up and bolt. "Uh, no. I married her because it seemed like the right thing to do at the time." _Good cover. He might survive tonight_. I thought.

He leaned down toward me. "You haven't told them what happened?"

"I've been avoiding them," I whispered.

A small smile spread across his face and he accepted a slice of lasagna from my mother. The food was passed, plates filled, and everyone started eating.

"Wow, so you just went on a cruise and got married on the spur of the moment, just like that? I wish I'd thought of that. I couldn't get married without getting drunk. In fact, Stephanie and Diesel had to trick me into it so I wouldn't pass out. Wow, that must have been something," Albert said, tripping over his own words as normal.

Chris nodded. "It was." He leaned toward me. "Diesel?"

"Friend."

He nodded and took a bite. "Wow, this is the best lasagna I've ever tasted, Mrs. Plum." He rolled his eyes and dug into another bite, shaking his head with a huge smile on his face.

Angie was staring at Chris, star struck and practically drooling. "Angie has a poster of you on her bedroom wall at home with no shirt on," Mary Alice said.

Angie turned bright red and looked down at her plate. "Mary Alice, what did you do at school today?" my mother asked her.

"Listened to everyone talk about how Aunt Stephanie is a shameless hussy and gold digger," she said digging into her food. "And a slut."

I felt myself go red. Chris had stopped with his fork halfway to his mouth. No one moved, except for Mary Alice. "Were many people saying those things?" Chris asked.

Angie chimed in meekly. "No, some of it was worse." She blushed again and went back to her plate.

"Worse?" I asked. I felt a tremor of anger begin somewhere inside me.

Chris put his arm around me and kissed my temple. "You okay, Princess?"

"He called her a princess, mom," Angie said to Valerie.

Chris smiled at Angie. "That's right. Because your Aunt Stephanie was the most beautiful woman at the ball." He rubbed my wrist gently.

She looked at him, unable to say anything. "Angie's favorite movie is _Princess Diaries 2_," Valerie said.

"Yeah, and she and her friends talk about you and your butt and I've heard her pretending to be Mia and talking to you when she thought no one was around!" Everyone gasped at Mary Alice's statement.

Chris recovered first. "That's okay. A girl has to have something to daydream about and I'm honored it was about me." He smiled at Angie. "And it's nice to know that my, uh, behind meets with your friends' approval."

Angie blushed further, but smiled a little.

"Mary Alice, come to the kitchen and help me with dessert!" my mother said.

Valerie and I cleared off the table, Grandma Mazur tried to find out more about Chris' physique, and he successfully dodged her. I guess there is a perk to being a professional actor. You have to learn how to fend off crazy women who want your body.

Mary Alice brought in the dessert plates and mother brought out the pineapple upside down cake. "Wow," Chris said. "Is that pineapple upsidedown cake? I haven't had that in years. My grandmother used to make it. It's my favorite." He grinned.

Everyone at the table stared at him. He looked at me. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, they're just stunned because this is my favorite dessert. It's how my mother blackmails me," I said.

"Pineapple upside down cake is worth a little blackmail," he said. Then he did something that has never happened at my parents' table before. He leaned in and kissed me, a full on quick fire kiss that left me breathless.

"Wow," Grandma Mazur said eyeballing Chris again. "I'll take a little of that cake."

When the meal was over, we congregated at the door saying good night. Conan had joined us and waited to guide us through the sea of reporters. Chris kissed each lady's hand, including Grandma Mazur, Mary Alice, and Angie, who blushed furiously. He shook hands with my father and we nodded to Conan.

The trip out to the car was a maze. Conan had us each by an arm and bulldozed through the crowd of people. Chris lost his suit coat in one altercation before we got to the car. I couldn't believe it. Some of the people grabbing at us were people I had known my whole life. It was amazing to see how crazy people went when an actor was in town. Once we were safely in the car, Chris tucked me under his arm and pressed my face to his neck and held up a hand in an attempt to block the photographs being snapped. He looked back at the cars following us. "I think I'm going to need a security detail."

Unfortunately, I knew a company, but I wasn't sure I wanted to even mention it.

"I was talking to my agent yesterday and he said he'd heard of a good company out here called Rangeman. Would you mind if we swung by there tomorrow to talk to them about security?" He asked. "Have you heard of them?"

_Damn_. "Uh, yes. Rangeman is..." I shook my head for a second. Sometimes I really couldn't believe how my life turned out. "It's Batman's company."

Chris stared at me for a full thirty seconds before busting out in a laugh. "You're kidding!"

I shook my head. "Do you think that he would take the job?" Chris asked.

I nodded. "Yes, but I'm not sure if that would be a good idea."

"Hmm, can you get a recommendation from him?"

I sighed. "I'll talk to him." And I knew full well if I told Ranger about the problems we were having, he would insist on being personally involved.

"I'm sorry about my family tonight. Believe it or not, they were actually calm and toned down," I said with a smile.

"I think they were great. They were real. I don't have people just being themselves around me a lot." He kissed the top of my head and stroked my arm. "I could have done without some of the grandma moments." He gave me a wide smile.

We stopped at a light and someone ran up to the car and tried to open the door, which was locked. "God! Are they always like this?" I asked.

"They can get pretty bad."

There was a loud pop and the sound of glass shattering. I saw Conan slump over in his seat. My window shattered and a huge, black-masked man reached in and grabbed me by the hair, dragging me out. He pressed a stun gun to Chris' neck. I saw Chris slump over in the seat and the man threw me into the back of an SUV and drove off.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

…

Fear gripped me as the SUV sped along the streets. I had no idea who my captor was, but it felt professional. I thought about opening the door and rolling out, but we were going at a breakneck speed and I was afraid that I wouldn't survive the impact.

I was trying to get comfortable, but the flesh on my back ached. I had felt it scrape against the glass, though I wasn't too concerned since I had a jacket and a sweater on. Most likely it was just irritated. I hoped.

It'd been about ten minutes since I was taken and I thought that Chris would be waking up soon. I hoped that none of the paps had caught up with the car. And I really hoped Ranger had been keeping an eye on me. I knew he'd help Chris despite how he felt about our situation.

Cold realization sliced through my mind at the thought that I didn't have my purse, so any tracker Ranger may have planted on me would be with Chris. I didn't have a hope of being found. I watched the street lights flashing by the car as we drove. We were going for the highway, then I had no idea what would happen.

I thought about attacking the driver, but my sense of self-preservation warred with my need to get the hell out of Dodge. Besides, the beefcake looked like it'd take two of me to do any real damage. Well, I wasn't tied up and, other than the way he grabbed me, Beefy was leaving me alone. Maybe he just wanted to talk.

A flash of Louisa entered my mind, but I immediately dismissed it. This was too "high crime" for her. I suspected she worked alone and, even if she wanted a partner, I couldn't be sure anyone would buy into her whole "he belongs to me" delusion.

We turned onto I-95 heading south and I guessed we were headed to Philly. I was trying to think of who or what could be in Philly. I sat and worried during the entire trip about what this abduction could possibly mean. The trip was long enough for me to stir myself up into a decent frenzy, but not long enough for me to work into full blown panic. By the time the panic was good and ripe, we turned off the highway and drove to a darkened warehouse.

_Great._ I thought. _Not only is this guy taking me to a warehouse, but it's just so 'typical' of these situations._ My sense of humor did nothing to calm me down. Neither did Beefy's demeanor. He opened the door, grabbed my hair and half dragged, half pushed me into the building.

His treatment was not what I would describe as _gentle_ or even mildly abusive. He was violent. I was slammed into doorways, shelving, and pipes protruding out from storage areas. By the time we reached the office in the back of the building, I was bruised and my lip was cut thanks to being smacked into a STOP sign.

He opened the door, and shoved me into the office with a grunt. It was definitely primitive caveman. I skidded across the floor and connected with a pair of legs. I looked up and a strangled cry left my throat. It was D'Angelo and he looked _very_ unhappy.

"You," he said with a thick Italian accent. "You ruin me!" He shook his hands in rage. This kind of temperament I could understand. He looked a lot like Morelli when he got in a mood. It was almost homey in here. Yep, homey as Hades.

"You know what I'm going to do just 'cause I like you so much?" He grabbed my chin with his hand and squeezed until I thought my jaw would break. He dragged me to my feet and set my nose just millimeters from his. "I'm going to beat you until no one can recognize you. Then, I'm going to cut you until you can't bleed no more. Then, I will throw your body out so the dogs will drag it down the street. That is what I am going to do to you." With each sentence, my terror grew until I successfully passed out from pure fright.

When I woke up, I was seated on a chair, each of my legs tied to a chair leg. My arms were tied behind my back and I was in only my bra and panties. In front of me was a video camera and I could tell it was off because there was no little red light. I looked around the room, taking stock.

Off to my right was a metal desk. There was an office chair on castors pushed up to the desk. I saw a small television, various office supplies, a corkboard with pushpins, and an old water cooler that was empty. I was just trying to get up the strength to shimmy my chair across the room when the door opened.

"Ah, I see you're awake and ready for your punishment." He pulled on a pair of leather driving gloves, first one hand and then the other. He checked each finger to ensure it was properly encased. He examined his hands and nodded in satisfaction. He walked over to the video camera and switched it on, adjusting the lens and then hitting the record button.

He walked over to stand next to me and my heart began a dull thud. My breath came in gasps and I felt moisture on my face. I realized that it was tears. He smiled down at me. On the surface, it appeared very loving and gentle, but his eyes held such rage… "Ah, yes, _cara_. You've been waiting for me to come and visit with you, yeah?"

He stroked my hair gently and smiled into the camera. "Ah, Carlos. So _nice_ of you to join us on our little adventure. As you can see, I have a little friend of yours here. Miss Plum, or should I say Mrs. Pine, has been kind enough to join me in my revenge. She has agreed to be the star of my new movie. Do you know what it is called, Carlos? Can you guess?" He laughed and grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked, dragging an agonized groan from me. "It is called 'Will You Get Here Before I Kill Her?'"

"Not too fast now, I am going to take it nice and slow. She's a beautiful woman and I appreciate a shapely body like this." He reached down and caressed his hand over my breast. I shuddered. He continued to caress my breast as he spoke, "How does it feel to know a woman who was yours now belongs to someone else … and will soon belong to me?"

Suddenly his hand was at my throat cutting off my air supply. He shouted out in a sing-song voice, "Well Caaaarloooos, guess what! You're gonna have ta watch because you can't stop me." He laughed.

I felt myself getting lightheaded. I was struggling with the urge to breathe. My mouth was open, but nothing could get in. After a few moments, I felt my eyes roll back into my head and the room went dark.

When I woke a short time later, I was alone. The camera was off and my throat was sore. I wanted a drink. I looked longingly at the empty water cooler and thought about all of the things I loved in life. Cake, donuts, Rex, my parents, Grandma Mazur, my sister … Morelli, as the friend he'd become despite our relationship attempts. Then there were Ranger and Chris, one completely in my grasp, but maybe with a lifestyle too farfetched for me; the other one I wasn't sure about. I knew one thing. I knew what my choice was and if I made it out of here alive, I would tell them both.

I hadn't realized I'd allowed myself to fall in love with Chris, but I had. I'd loved Ranger for a long time, but the cards never seemed right for us. I sat, remembering both of them, loving both of them, and wishing I could give them some assurance right now, when the door opened and D'Angelo entered with a bright, fatherly smile, minus the sadistic eyes.

"_Cara_, you're awake again. I am overjoyed to see you." The gloves game on as he was talking. The camera went on and he stood beside me again. "Yes, Carlos. I hope you enjoyed the first segment of my movie. As you can see, this is the part two." He held my face in his hands and I was desperately wishing I'd jumped out of the SUV. Note to self: When in a car speeding down a highway on your way to uncertain doom, just jump. It's less painful. This was going to be hell.

"Carlos, look at this beautiful face. Tsk, tsk." He stood band backhanded me across the cheekbone so hard with his fist that I felt as if my head would spin around on my neck. I was so shocked I couldn't make a noise. "Ah, look, Carlos. She bruises easily. Did you notice her neck? It has my hand imprinted on it." He stood and backhanded me with the opposite hand across the other cheek. I grunted over a sob. Tears spilled down my face and my nose kept up a constant stream, whether it as blood or just snot, I couldn't tell.

He alternated taunting Ranger and hitting me three or four times until I felt like maybe I was so damaged that I wouldn't feel it if he did it again. My face was starting to go numb from the pain and trauma. I cried and begged him to stop. My eyes were so swollen I could hardly see. I was terrified of what he'd do next and how I'd look afterward; and then I felt stupid for worrying about my looks when he was going to kill me.

"Time's up today, Carlos," he grinned into the camera, "but you will see her tomorrow."

He looked at me. "Tell Carlos goodnight."

I opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn't calm myself down enough to get any words out. He kicked my chair and sent my flying sideways so that the chair tipped over and I went skidding across the floor. I felt a sharp pain in my arm and felt the harsh cement floor scraping the skin in the process. "I said tell him goodnight. NOW!"

I took a deep breath and called out, "Good night, Philly."

"Eh?" he asked. "What's this Filly?"

I nodded. "Nickname. It's how I tell him that I love him."

He stared at me for a minute and then said, "We're done for now." He grabbed my chair and sat me up and placed me in front of the camera. I looked into it and said, "Philly, I love you."

"Yes! She loves you, Filly … little horse shit!" Then he punched me in the stomach for good measure. I felt a crack that was possibly a rib and I threw up.

He shut off the camera and told me a very hearty good night. "I'll be back after Carlos gets the video. Sleep well."

I didn't hold any hope of sleeping well. It was October and I was only wearing a bra and panties. The building was drafty and it wasn't heated. I suspected that I'd be a new color when D'Angelo came back in the morning: blue. The thought spurred me into action. I hopped my chair over to the desk, stopping to rest frequently and groan at the pain in my body. Progress was slow and painful, but I finally made it and used my head and my teeth to open the top drawer of the desk and hit pay dirt. A box knife.

It was easy for me to get it out of the drawer with my teeth, but getting it into my hands would take some skill and I wasn't sure I had those skills. After thinking for a few moments, I decided to tip myself over so that I was on my side. If I got it into the right position, I could flip over onto it so my hands grabbed it and then I could cut my bonds.

This seemed like the best plan so I dropped the knife onto my thighs and squeezed them to keep it from flying out when I tipped. It took a few tries, but I finally tipped over sideways onto the opposite arm, hitting my head on the corner of the desk in the process. It hurt like a bitch, but I had too much adrenaline going for it to affect me enough to stop me.

I opened my legs and let the knife fall out and then I started a series of turnarounds and rollarounds until, one lucky time, my hand connected with the knife. It was excruciating. My arm throbbed and I had a sinking suspicion that it'd taken some serious damage when D'Angelo knocked me over. I pushed the slider up on the knife and felt that it still had a blade in it. I flipped it over and worked at the ropes. I cut my fingers and my wrist a few times, but I finally got the ropes cut. I cried for joy when my hands were free.

The only light in the room was a dim light outside the office door that let in a minimal glow. I quickly cut off the ropes at my ankles, slicing a gash in my left leg in the process. My hands were shaking so violently I couldn't control my movements.

I didn't know what kind of guard I was under, so I gingerly cracked open the office door and listened. I heard nothing, but I was afraid to head out right away. I shut the door and looked around for anything that would protect me from the cold. I saw a folded up canvas drop cloth, grabbed it, and wrapped it around my body. I was thankful for the meager warmth it provided. I looked around the office, taking stock, then I saw a door in the back of the office.

It was probably a closet. I decided to try it anyway. I quietly opened the door and stepped out into cool night air. What the hell? For a pro, this guy seemed pretty dumb. I shut the door behind me without a sound and started off across the yard, keeping my eyes peeled. There was a yard light at the corner of the building, but I couldn't see much since it was so far away. If I saw any movement in the shadows, I was running hell bent for leather out of here, barefoot or not.

Everything seemed deserted. There were woods at the back of the property so I decided to head that way. I pulled the cloth tighter around me and walked toward the woods. Even on a good day, my sense of direction was horrible. Walking away from the yard light, it was nearly pitch black out and my visibility was limited. My left eye was swollen shut and my right eye wasn't much better. Luckily, my escape hadn't taken vision, but touch, or I would have been in real trouble. Shoes would have been nice, though. My feet were raw from crossing the sharp rocks in the back lot.

I stood still, listening and looking for any sign of light, anything to use as a guide. Then I heard a click and it sounded like the safety being released on a gun. Fear gripped me. I listened again and I heard another click. It was definitely the safety on a second gun. In a matter of seconds, I heard the noise of bodies rushing forward and a light popped on revealing several guns pointed at me. A voice yelled: "Freeze, put your hands where I can see them!"

My first thought was of how on earth they could see my hands. The second was pure relief as it flooded through me. I didn't know of any bad guys who used that phrase. I raised my hands and my tarp fell. "What the hell?" one of the men said. A second flashlight clicked on shining into my face. "Holy shit! We need a bus out here. She's been badly beaten."

All guns lowered and the voice spoke to me. "I'm Special Agent Thomas. I'm with the FBI and you're safe now." I sank to the ground. The sound coming from me was one I didn't recognize. Agony, relief, anger, rage, fear; it didn't matter. I was safe and I was going to cry until there were no more tears.

Someone put a jacket around me. Someone shoved a Styrofoam cup into my hands and a warm blanket around my shoulders. I didn't care. Only one thing would make me feel better and the person who had it wasn't here.

An agent loaded me into a car and drove me to a rendezvous point to get me into an ambulance. He explained that they'd been watching the building for two days and didn't want to give away their location.

Once I got to the hospital, I was examined and sent to surgery for my jaw, which was broken in two places, and my arm which had a compound fracture from D'Angelo's fit of rage kicking me over in my chair. The rest of my wounds were also cleaned, stitched, and bandaged. My whole head was bandaged except for a small crack for my right eye so I could see. I also had a broken rib. All in all, not too bad considering what he'd been planning for me.

I was asleep when I felt a gentle hand lightly caressing my good arm. I opened my eye and met Chris' gaze. His eyes were red rimmed and there was anger in their depths. "Hey," he said.

"Hey, Captain." I croaked through my teeth. Shit, that wasn't going to work, talking hurt too much.

He stared at me. "It really is you in there, isn't it?"

"Yep." I couldn't really talk without pain and sighed.

"They told me about your jaw." He kissed the knuckles on my good hand. "Don't try to talk. I just wanted to be sure it was you. I can only see about a square inch of skin, but I can see now that you're awake it's definitely your eye." He broke off and looked away for a second. This was hard for him, even worse than the Louisa situation.

"Everything is fine now. You're safe." He kissed my knuckles again. "D'Angelo showed up dead this morning. It was all over the news. He can't hurt you again, Princess."

He compressed his lips together. "It's a huge mystery to the police because he has the same injuries on him that you had on you. The police are calling it a revenge killing." My thoughts strayed to Ranger. "It's kind of sad that no one is sad to see this guy dead. I know I'm not. I think I could have easily killed him if I'd had the chance." He was quiet and brooding.

I nodded. I was glad D'Angelo was dead. In fact, I think I could have easily killed him myself if given a fair shot at it. I hoped he'd suffered. And thinking of who'd probably gotten to him, I knew he had.

He looked at me and smiled. I got my familiar flutter. Damn those eyes. "How about if I just ask you yes or no questions and you blink once for yes and twice for no?"

Blink.

"I'll tell you what happened after I woke up."

Blink.

"Ranger was there. Conan didn't make it. He was shot in the head."

Blink, blink.

He kissed my hand. "Yes, I'm sorry, Princess. Ranger asked me what happened and I told him the whole story right up until I got zapped."

"Ranger said that they got worried when we sat in the same place at a traffic light for five minutes. They started to move at that point and he said he got even more concerned when we still hadn't moved after ten. By that time they had reached the car."

"I was just coming around when they got there. He grabbed me by the jacket and lifted me out and interrogated me. That is one scary dude," he said with a smile.

Blink.

"They took me to a safe house, which pissed me off because I wanted to help find you. But the truth is, this is New Jersey. I don't know anything about it and I didn't want to be in the way." He kissed my knuckles again.

"I guess sometimes Captain Kirk has to step aside and let Batman take center stage." He smiled. "If you want the story from Ranger's perspective, you'll have to ask him. For me, it was a lot of waiting and then a guy came in and told me you were in the hospital in surgery." He drew in a shaky breath. "Well, I can tell you that was the scariest moment in my life. I had about eight hours to sit and wonder if I was ever going to see you alive again. It was hell and still nothing compared to what you went through."

A tear ran out of my eye. He wiped it away with a tissue. "Try not to cry. Is this too much for you?"

Blink, blink.

"Okay." He studied my hand for a minute. "I have to go back to LA tomorrow. It's for a movie I'm doing. I don't have a choice."

Blink.

"Well, I have a choice. I could take you with me. Have you transferred," he said, his voice velvety soft against my frazzled nerves.

I didn't know how to respond.

"I know. I don't know what I think about it, either." He smiled and kissed my knuckles.

"Do you love me?"

Blink.

"Are you in love with me?"

Blink.

"Me, too." He sounded sad. I waited.

"Are you in love with me enough to move to LA?" He asked quietly.

I stared at him for a minute. I knew the answer was that I didn't even love him enough to leave Ranger, let alone New Jersey.

Blink, blink.

He smiled sadly and kissed my knuckles. "It's okay. This is why I came. To find out if it was what it felt like or if it was just us getting caught up." He stroked my fingers and kissed them. "I want you to know that my love is the real thing."

Blink.

"But my love also doesn't include a move to New Jersey."

Blink.

"I love you, more than I have loved anyone."

Blink.

"But this isn't right."

Blink, blink.

He kissed my knuckle. "Are you okay?"

Blink. I was better than okay. I'd miss him, but I hadn't hurt him. We'd had one evening and that evening had been a great goodbye … even if it had felt like hello for a moment.

"Will you be okay to sign the annulment papers tomorrow? I'd love to come see you again and not have to rush this, but it could be several months. That'd make it harder, more complicated," he said.

Blink.

"I love you."

Blink, blink, blink. _I love you, too._

He kissed my knuckles. "I wish I could kiss you."

Blink.

"Ranger's here to see you. Are you ready to see him?"

Blink. Oh my God. I was ready to see Ranger.

"He loves you. I think he may even want a forever something with you." He smiled. "I think it would be good for you to look into that."

Blink.

"I'll miss you forever," he said.

Blink.

"I'll let you know when I'm around this way so we can hang out. You're still my best friend." He winked.

Blink. A tear fell. He wiped it away with the tissue again.

"Okay, I'd better let Ranger in here. He's acting a little crazy." He grinned. He kissed my hand and locked his eyes with mine. "I love you, Princess." He left the room quietly. I didn't blame him for wanting to leave quickly. This wasn't fun. Knowing that you're both in love, but not in a position to make it work; and knowing that half of you can only give half of herself to the relationship.

It was also hard to imagine Ranger 'acting' crazy.

I felt his presence before I saw him. Then there was a hand touching my foot through the blankets. A trim waist and washboard abs in front of my vision, then he sat down so he was in my field of vision and looked at me. What I saw stopped my heart.

Hurt, anger, fear. All of the things he'd felt for me when I was with D'Angelo.

"Babe," he said, his voice quiet.

Blink.

"I don't know whether or not I'm happy that you can't talk." I narrowed my eye at him. He smiled.

"How about if I ask you questions and you do the blinking thing. Once for yes and twice for no?"

Blink.

He sighed. "I am a basket case around you right now. When he sent me those tapes, it did something to me."

Blink. Shit, I would have _hated_ to see those tapes if it were him being beaten. He was probably seething.

"Chris told me you two are splitting up," he said quietly.

Blink.

"Is it because you don't love him?"

Blink, blink.

"Is it because you want something else?" he asked softly.

Blink.

He hesitated for a second. "Is it me?"

_Big sigh._ Blink.

"The hospital said that you can leave in a couple of days as long as your tests come out alright. Do you want to come home with me?" he asked, looking into my eyes.

Blink.

A third tear escaped and he reached up and caught it with his finger, then slid his finger into his mouth, piercing me with his gaze so full of emotion it tripped my breathing. "I love you, Stephanie."

Blink, blink, blink. _I love you, too._

He looked into my eyes for a long time. His breathing was calm, controlled. His eyes dark. He looked a little distracted. "I know you just sort of lost your husband, but when this all dies down, would you consider making a future with me?"

My heart slammed against my ribcage and my breath caught in my throat. It was a good thing I didn't have to speak.

Blink.

He smiled. "Babe." And he kissed the palm of my hand and nuzzled it. "I love you."

Blink, blink, blink. He didn't see it because his mouth was still pressed to my palm, but I hoped he could feel it in the way I pressed against his mouth.

…

Ranger and I stood facing each other, staring into each other's eyes. We were communicating without speaking. We did that often these days, but especially right now. Our conversation went something like:

Carlos: I wish I'd taken the time to explore what you had under that dress before we left home. Now it's all I can think about.

Me: I could get used to seeing you in a tux.

Carlos: Don't get used to it.

Me: Oh really?

Carlos: Yes.

Me: You'll wear it again.

Carlos: Not on your life.

Me: Yes.

"Do you?" Father Carlotti asked.

"I do," Ranger said.

"I do," I said.

I was wearing a lacy lilac colored sundress with matching strappy heels. Carlos was wearing his black suit, black dress up shirt, and black tie with black stripes. He took my breath away. If we hadn't been standing here together like this in front of Father Carlotti, I think I would have convinced him to let me peel off his clothes so I could reveal the incredible body beneath. As it was, we weren't alone and we had a purpose being in the church today.

"As long as you both understand what you are about to do."

I nodded and Carlos gave his barely imperceptible nod. He reached inside his suit jacket and pulled out his gun. I reached under the skirt of my sundress and unholstered my gun from its sleeve.

"Ready, babe?"

"You bet."

"Let's go break up a wedding."

"I thought you'd never ask."

Together, we turned and went through the doors of the church to get our high bond FTA who just happened to be getting married today.

I smiled at him as we walked through the hallway toward the sanctuary.

"What, babe?"

"I'm glad we got married, otherwise, I'd have had a real problem being here today."

"What are you talking about?" he asked with a grin. "I was the one who had to convince _you_ to marry _me._"

"That is not what happened, Mañoso," I said with a mock scowl. It was hard for me to get _too_ upset with him these days.

"You can take it to the bank, Mañoso." He nodded toward the door. "It's show time."


	11. Alternate Ending

**Chapter 11: Alternate Ending**

…

Once I got to the hospital, I was examined and sent to surgery for my jaw, which was broken in two places, and my arm which had a compound fracture from D'Angelo's fit of rage kicking me over in my chair. The rest of my wounds were also cleaned, stitched, and bandaged. My whole head was bandaged except for a small crack for my right eye so I could see. I also had a broken rib. All in all, not too bad considering what he'd been planning for me.

I was asleep when I felt a gentle hand lightly caressing my good arm. I opened my eye and met Chris' gaze. His eyes were red rimmed and there was anger in their depths. "Hey," he said.

"Hey, Captain." I croaked through my teeth. Shit, that wasn't going to work, talking hurt too much.

He stared at me. "It really is you in there, isn't it?"

"Yep." I couldn't really talk without pain and sighed.

"They told me about your jaw." He kissed the knuckles on my good hand. "Don't try to talk. I just wanted to be sure it was you. I can only see about a square inch of skin, but I can see now that you're awake it's definitely your eye." He broke off and looked away for a second. This was hard for him, even worse than the Louisa situation.

"Everything is fine now. You're safe." He kissed my knuckles again. "D'Angelo showed up dead this morning. It was all over the news. He can't hurt you again, Princess."

He compressed his lips together. "It's a huge mystery to the police because he has the same injuries on him that you had on you. The police are calling it a revenge killing." My thoughts strayed to Ranger. "It's kind of sad that no one is sad to see this guy dead. I know I'm not. I think I could have easily killed him if I'd had the chance." He was quiet and brooding.

I nodded. I was glad D'Angelo was dead. In fact, I think I could have easily killed him myself if given a fair shot at it. I hoped he'd suffered. And thinking of who'd probably gotten to him, I knew he had.

He looked at me and smiled. I got my familiar flutter. Damn those eyes. "How about if I just ask you yes or no questions and you blink once for yes and twice for no?"

Blink.

"I'll tell you what happened after I woke up."

Blink.

"Ranger was there. Conan didn't make it. He was shot in the head."

Blink, blink.

He kissed my hand. "Yes, I'm sorry, Princess. Ranger asked me what happened and I told him the whole story right up until I got zapped."

"Ranger said that they got worried when we sat in the same place at a traffic light for five minutes. They started to move at that point and he said he got even more concerned when we still hadn't moved after ten. By that time they had reached the car."

"I was just coming around when they got there. He grabbed me by the jacket and lifted me out and interrogated me. That is one scary dude," he said with a smile.

Blink.

"They took me to a safe house, which pissed me off because I wanted to help find you. But the truth is, this is New Jersey. I don't know anything about it and I didn't want to be in the way." He kissed my knuckles again.

"I guess sometimes Captain Kirk has to step aside and let Batman take center stage." He smiled. "If you want the story from Ranger's perspective, you'll have to ask him. For me, it was a lot of waiting and then a guy came in and told me you were in the hospital in surgery." He drew in a shaky breath. "Well, I can tell you that was the scariest moment in my life. I had about eight hours to sit and wonder if I was ever going to see you alive again. It was hell and still nothing compared to what you went through."

A tear ran out of my eye. He wiped it away with a tissue. "Try not to cry. Is this too much for you?"

Blink, blink.

"Okay." He studied my hand for a minute. "I have to go back to LA tomorrow. It's for a movie I'm doing. I don't have a choice."

Blink, blink. He stared at me, his blue eyes deepening. I could see how much he really loved me. "You don't want me to leave."

Blink, blink. Hell, no, I didn't want him to leave. I'd just decided that I wanted to stay married to him, to keep him. He was _my_ Captain.

"Well, I do have a choice. I could take you with me. Have you transferred," he said, his voice velvety soft against my frazzled nerves, calming and soothing me.

Blink.

He didn't say anything for a minute. He just stroked my hand, threading his fingers through mine. After a minute he smiled at me. "Does that mean that you want to stay married?"

Blink.

"What about Batman?" he asked. I didn't have the ability to answer him, blinking didn't seem to be enough. "Sorry, that wasn't fair. How about if I just accept that Batman isn't an issue and we'll talk about it when you can talk? Is that better?"

Blink. He was amazing. This man that I thought I hadn't wanted turned out to be giving me all of the things I'd needed that I would never allow myself to wish for. Honesty, commitment … even commitment through paparazzi. Now that was commitment.

"I love you."

Blink, blink, blink. _I love you._

"You know this is going to be a difficult road ahead of us for a while. Hollywood doesn't like happily ever after," he said.

Blink.

"I feel that if I could get through this experience with you, the paps won't be any trouble." He was smiling, but there was an edge to it. This had been hard for him.

Blink.

"I wish I could kiss you right now. I'm really feeling like a kiss would be appropriate." His eyes had locked onto mine and I was mesmerized.

Blink.

"Ranger's outside and he wants to see you. Is that okay?" His mouth was kissing my knuckles.

Blink.

"Okay, I'll give you two some privacy and start working out the details with the hospital. You sure this is what you want?" he asked, hesitant.

Blink. I nodded for emphasis.

"Okay, Princess. I love you."

Blink, blink, blink.

I felt his presence before I saw him. Then there was a hand touching my foot through the blankets. A trim waist and washboard abs in front of my vision, then he sat down so he was in my field of vision and looked at me. What I saw stopped my heart.

Hurt, anger, fear. All of the things he had felt for me when I was with D'Angelo.

"Babe," he said, his voice quiet.

Blink.

"I don't know whether or not I'm happy that you can't talk." I narrowed my eye at him. He smiled.

"How about if I ask you questions and you do the blinking thing. Once for yes and twice for no?"

Blink.

He sighed. "I am a basket case around you right now. When he sent me those tapes … it did something to me."

Blink. Shit, I would have _hated_ to see those tapes if it were him being beaten. He was probably seething.

"Chris told me he's transferring your care to a doctor in LA when you're released to go home," he said quietly.

Blink.

"You found the kind of love you were looking for."

Blink.

He nodded and smiled at me. "I'll always love you, babe. But I think this is best."

Blink.

"You need someone who can give you the honesty you're always looking for in me." He took my hand and stared at me. "Someone without secrets."

Blink.

"I'll miss you, babe." He kissed the palm of my hand. "I'll miss you a lot, but I'm glad you have someone like him to take care of you."

Blink.

"I love you, babe."

Blink, blink, blink. _I love you, too_.

He smiled at me and the love in his eyes came through clearer than ever before. "I'll be in the wind, babe. Just remember."

Blink.

He smiled and kissed my hand again. "I'll go get your Captain."

Blink.

…

The limousine pulled up to our destination and I looked over at Chris. He looked edible in an Armani tux with a black tie and crisp white shirt, the black material accentuating the dark rim around his blue eyes. I was drawn into them as he stared into mine. They were the first feature I'd noticed on him and the first thing I wanted to see when I woke in the morning.

I was wearing a deep blue Caroline Herrera gown with spaghetti straps that showed a lot of cleavage thanks to my super wonder bra. My shoes were bright red with four inch spike heels and Chris still had a couple of inches on me. My hair was expertly pulled up into a beautiful updo, done in a prestigious Hollywood salon that catered to many celebrities and their significant others. I had diamonds in my ears and around my neck, a _huge_ diamond ring, and diamond wedding band.

Chris had presented them to me on our first date after I healed. There were no lasting effects from my trauma. My jaw was healed and my face was back to normal. The paps had long since gotten bored with us. It's hard to chase down people who are normal. Chris tells me often that he knows one day I'll get into a scandal that will get us back into the mags, but he's happy to have a quiet life with me for now.

I've given up bounty hunting and I was happy to do that. I've focused my energy on a battered women's shelter in Los Angeles. Being able to relate to physical torture on many levels helps me to connect to the women. I've found that I have a real passion for helping them get through their trouble.

Chris and I have no plans for kids right now. I want to get settled into my work at the shelter and spend as much time as possible learning the hundreds of ways he likes to show his love for me. What can I say? I'm selfish when it comes to him, but he is with me, too.

The driver opened the door and Chris exited the limo amid screams and cheers and a flurry of people shouting his name, but he ignored them all to turn around and reach his hand out to me. "Time for your debut, Princess." He smiled. I put my hand into his and gave him a shaky smile. In some ways, attending my first premier as his wife was a lot scarier than any of the fugitive apprehensions I'd done.

He helped me from the limo and stood at my side with his hand on my waist, offering his warmth and protection to me. I smiled and walked beside him up the red carpet. We stopped when requested and posed for photos and finally reached the end of the carpet. He looked down at me and smiled into my eyes. Then he took my face in his hands and kissed me breathless. "I love making you want me, Princess," he said in a quiet voice into my ear, "and I love you."

"I love you, too, Captain."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a dark figure round the corner of the theater and I smiled. Ranger was in the wind and he was blowing good wishes on my happiness tonight.


End file.
